The Thrill of the Chase was officially released in October 2010. The first interview Forrest Fenn did for his book was with Mary Charlotte of Santa Fe Radio Café. Forrest answered a few questions concerning his book which would be featured later that night at Collected Works Book Store. It was a few days after the first published News Article on the 22nd of October (and after Irene Rawlings Podcast in September 2010).
The almost 20 minute interview focused much about Forrest’s life and art business. Only near the end of the interview does Mary-Charlotte ask about his hidden treasure.
She first asks him about his love for collecting. Forrest says his father and grandfather both collected arrowheads. They enjoyed searching for them in the plowed fields of Texas and along creeks……and we know from the first Six Questions in 2013, that one of his most cherished items is an arrowhead found with his father at age 9.
Forrest then goes into talking about being in the war, business, and thoughts on archaeology. And as in his many more recent interviews, he talks about his rules. He mentions the rule ‘It doesn’t matter who you are. It only matters who they think you are.’ Forrest says, ‘it’s the story that sells.’
One of the most interesting points to me in the interview was when Forrest said, ‘My motivation was to find a great object. Everyone can sell a great object, but not everyone can find one.’ I think that is a great strategy, and goes with ideas too.
The interview continues and eventually gets to the Chase. Unlike, in the First Written Article on the Chase, which stated the treasure was buried in northern New Mexico, this interview just stated ‘in the mountains north of Santa Fe’ .
Here is that brief exchange on the hiding of Forrest’s treasure chest:
Reporter: You buried a treasure chest somewhere in the hills or mountains north of Santa fe and have left clues in your memoir so people can find it.
Forrest: That’s true…I’ve taken this treasure chest to a very secret and very special place, and I’ve hidden it there….there are nine clues in the book. You have to read the book, but if you have an imagination…and a pretty good mind….and a little bit of resolve…. You can find that treasure chest. First one to it can have it.
The interview ends with Forrest talking about his Bronze Bells. Forrest seems to really love talking about these, maybe moreso than his treasure chest. He seems to like the thought that in 1000 years some one will come across one his buried bells or jars, and from their discovery, they will know Forrest Fenn is the one that gave them that ‘treasure’ and a smile…… planned so many years ago.
It is this type of joy, that inspired The Treasure Chest Project.