Philippe Petit Explains His High-Wire Act
Philippe Petit, one of the true adventurers of our time, has given a new interview on the occasion of his new book, “Creativity.” First exchange: Interviewer: ‘You are most famous for your 1974 tightrope walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York. It took six years to plan. Was there ever a point when you questioned what you were doing?’ Petit: ‘No, not in the sense of interrogating myself, but yes in the sense of being stopped in my élan [sic]. I was stopped by police at the top of the tower and all sorts of accidents happened that should have annihilated the dream. At the top of the tower, I was filled with doubt.’ But he overcame it.
