today mobile they're ranks first in the nation for wood pulp exports and is on to the retired u.s.s. alabama. with help from our comcast cable partners for the next hour we will explore the history and literary life of this port city with local authors. >> the wonderful thing about the gulf coast is it is, i think, so underappreciated which is good because there's a lot to write about. >> new york, sentences go, chicago, the cities and places are also well known. extraordinarily rich subject. of course launched the invasion and confiscation of all this land which immediately after the war was over the reid there would not have been settled if it had not been for this war. >> we will begin our special look of mobile with a conversation with novelist and nonfiction author best known for his work forest gump. >> i enjoy writing about things. i mean, i think the problem sometimes with some books is that the writer has been teaching the subject. he does not come at it with a fresh eye. i grew up in mobile, alabama. i was born in washington d.c. second world war. my father was a lawyer with jagged