Gary Ingber, the debut writer of Chasing Shangri-La, speaks on the process of writing this unique memoir.
1. What inspired you to write this book?
Keeping a promise I made to my son.
2. Can you give us a brief overview of Chasing Shangri-La
“When it feels like you no longer have a pair, it’s time to shake it up”. At the age of 57, I walked away from the software company I founded and built to pursue a childhood dream of climbing the Himalayas and searching for Shangri-La. Against the backdrop of a country convulsing with civil war, Chasing Shangri-La is a soul-searching journey to the Everest region of Nepal, a tribute to a friend’s dying son, and a father’s love story to his own son.
3. What were your emotions while writing?
Restlessness. Exhaustion, fear, hopefulness. Tenderness and vulnerability.. strength and resilience.. a sense of awe and grandeur. A need for redemption, transformation, some answers. The electric joy of being up high, breathing in the sky.. and hearing that yearning voice, deep down in all of us, that says: “Fuck it, I’m following my heart. I’m gone”. Whew, cut that answer!
4. What surprised you the most during the writing process?
The power of friendship and fatherhood.
5. I know you dedicated the book to two sons; do they know about it? What do they think?
One son- my friend’s- died while I was in Nepal. Yes, my own son knows about the journal. I wrote it for him. I hope he cherishes it.
6. Is this the first book you have written if so, do you plan to write more?
Yes, it’s my first book. Who knows, maybe I’ll write more when I finally hang up my spikes.
7. Are you a frequent climber? What is the last mountain you’ve climbed?
Yes. I’m a founding member of the Climb For Hope, an organization that climbs mountains around the world to raise funds for cutting-edge breast cancer immunotherapy research at Johns Hopkins. Last climbed in Patagonia (pre-Covid 19). Anxious to get back to it.
8. What was the most challenging part of writing this book?
Navigating the inner journey that all writing is. Finding the Kokoro- the right mix of heart, mind, and spirit.
9. How did you come up with the title?
Trekking in Nepal was taken. I had to come up with something else 🙂
10. What can readers hope to learn from this book?
An affirmation of the art of living. When you hear the siren call of the wild, answer the damn call.
