From the Journal of Christopher McCandless

Like many of you, I watched the film by Sean Penn and was struck by the tragic and powerful story of Christopher McCandless. The compelling story, and its sad conclusion drove me to the Internet in search of more information about the inspirational spirit of this young man. In my travels across the web I stumbled across a wealth of information, and the (sometimes) insightful and thought provoking comments posted around the net by so many of you.

I would urge some of you to reach out for more information to aid in the development of your ideas on the subject of Chris McCandless. I think it would be unfair to the memory of Chris, if we based our opinions and our perceptions of him on the Hollywood representation of his Truth. From the time Chris climbed out of that old Ford pickup and waved good bye to James Gallien, to the time of his death, we have nothing more to go on than the writings and photos found at the bus and the physical evidence in the surrounding area. It is from these sources that I wish to learn more about Chris' story.

Given the opportunity, I would urge the McCandless family to release the entirety of Chris' writings to a publisher. What little writing I have found is powerful, and strikes at something deep inside the primal part of my being. My personal favorite is included below, and it implies to me that the collected works of Chris McCandless might just be one of the great works of our time. Sadly, I can do nothing more than speculate, as I have read only a tiny portion of the written record.

Speculate is a key word there, and therein lies the reason for my comment here tonight. Remember, as you read whats posted here, that we have all been stirred by a story: told by a skilled story teller and a gifted artist. I say that if we are to be truly inspired, then let it be by the truth and not by an artist's representation.

So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.

Christopher McCandless
1968 - 1992