My Losing Season: A Memoir

Part 4 of the memoir, titled “The Point Guard’s Way of Knowledge,” begins with a lengthy final chapter that explores the present-day process of interviewing Thompson and the players of the team when writing the book. Chapter 30 also discusses some of the fallout that has taken place because of Conroy’s writing over the years, specifically with his father and with how The Citadel responded to its unflattering portrayal in his novels. While tracking down his former teammates to interview for the book was not difficult, Thompson’s availability proved much more difficult for Conroy.

Conroy begins the chapter writing “lurking as both touchstone and the defining myth behind this book has stood the evasive, mysterious, and wordless figure of Mel Thompson” (361). Conroy finally was able to interview Thompson and came away realizing that “he remained untouchable at his core” (366). Conroy also points out that Thompson dominated every conversation and had failed to ask him a single question about himself or any of his teammates.

One of the interviews that Conroy describes as extremely emotional was that of Al Kroboth. Conroy feared the interview with Kroboth because it would be the “hardest encounter with how [he] conducted himself during the Vietnam War” (369).