Renowned author of 19 books and former NASA engineer Homer Hickam sits down with me and a few students at UVA's College at Wise to talk about his journey from the coalfields of West Virginia to becoming a celebrated author and esteemed engineer. In this episode, Hickam shares his experiences writing Rocket Boys and other books, the inspiration to write both fiction and nonfiction, and his most memorable projects at NASA. He also discusses his encounters with industry icons, the challenges and rewards of different genres, and offers practical advice to aspiring writers and engineers. Hickam recalls stories about the making of the ''October Sky'' movie and thoughts on the evolving publishing industry.

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Unless another artist is featured, acoustic music on most episodes: "Freight Train" written by Elizabeth Cotten and performed by Landon Spain