I had the chance to see these guys on one of their Chicago stops and enjoyed the experience. Each of them gave a short presentation that mostly focused on the genesis of the book and their personal relationships and they were all entertaining. There was some discussion of the diving and the wreck but, as Kurson said, the book wasnt about the wreck, it was about the divers.
Rob Kurson is sharp as a tack, funny in a fairly dry sort of way and an impassioned geek. Chicago is his hometown and hes done some writing for some local publications, so I was peripherally familiar with his work prior to reading the book and like his style and intensity. The guy is a natural-born storyteller. He also is not a diver and will never be a diver a subject of some discussion (and funny stories) during the afternoon. John Chatterton is the confident, articulate and dominant personality that weve come to know from the Deep Sea Detectives show and it was interesting to hear him talk about the reactions he and Kohler had to Kurson and the whole process of writing the book. Richie Kohler was the big surprise of the afternoon. Ive always seen him as an also-ran, sort of the lump along for the ride, instead I was impressed to find him very human, very accessible and, of the three, probably the one Id most like to share some time with. Despite his wreck-raider days, he came across as the one most involved with the emotional aspects of the wreck and the one most interested in his relationships with both Chatterton and Kurson. All three struck me as truly nice guys.
After each of them had a chance to speak, they all took questions. Most of the questions were inane blather from a bunch of bookies (related to foodies, only with reading glasses), many of whom were more interesting in basking in the reflected glory of being in the room with the speakers than actually learning anything. I was surprised at how few divers were actually there, though the mid-day, mid-week timing of the presentation might have had a lot to do with that. The three remained gracious and focused throughout, which was more than I might have been able to do.
I dont know how many of these chats these guys have done but at some points there was an aroma of canned ham to their presentation. I think thats to be expected: like a rock star forced by fans to play that same 15 year old hit at every concert, repeating oneself would get to be tiresome. They did it with style and I lapped it up, so thanks are in order.
They also stuck around and autographed their book for anyone who willing to brave the crowd. What made the LONG line worth the wait was the fact that they took the time to interact with everyone, asking questions, telling jokes, kidding each other and drawing their fans into the ongoing conversation they were enjoying with each other.
All-in-all, it was a pleasant, entertaining and modestly educational afternoon. Anyone who enjoyed the book or the TV series will find it worthwhile.
