I appreciate this! I covered the 2003 Cedar Fire in San Diego and I've never been more terrified and exhausted on assignment. I am adding Lizzie Johnson's book to my TBR list. Even though my subject matter of mass incarceration is a man-made disaster, I am always looking for inspiration on how other writers corral reporting and writing on complex issues & events into a readable page turner. It sounds like Johnson's book will be a good example!
I read her book when it first came out, a few years ago, and never forgot her comment about how the coroner was hoping to identify people by the serial numbers on their hips and shoulders. Details like that really brought the fire to life.
I think you missed my corrective: “One of America’s best sportswriters offers a font of inspiration for any team that needs to overcome vast odds to have a winning season.”
I meant font in the sense it’s used in this dictionary definition:
7 days ago — 1. a : a receptacle for baptismal water b : a receptacle for holy water c : a receptacle for various liquids 2 : source, fountain a font of information.
Excellent review of the literature. And as far as the wind goes, there’s always Chandler’s classic description of “one of those hot dry Santa Anas … that curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch.”
I appreciate this! I covered the 2003 Cedar Fire in San Diego and I've never been more terrified and exhausted on assignment. I am adding Lizzie Johnson's book to my TBR list. Even though my subject matter of mass incarceration is a man-made disaster, I am always looking for inspiration on how other writers corral reporting and writing on complex issues & events into a readable page turner. It sounds like Johnson's book will be a good example!
Thanks, Beth. Lizzie is excellent.
I read her book when it first came out, a few years ago, and never forgot her comment about how the coroner was hoping to identify people by the serial numbers on their hips and shoulders. Details like that really brought the fire to life.
Condominium by John D. MacDonald is a pretty good hurricane novel
Font of inspiration, eh? I’m assuming, given the apocalyptic examples here, it’d be Hellvetica, yeah? I’m a fount of puns. 😜😉
Ha. I use Calibri, and wish it were more of an inspiration sometimes :).
I think you missed my corrective: “One of America’s best sportswriters offers a font of inspiration for any team that needs to overcome vast odds to have a winning season.”
I meant font in the sense it’s used in this dictionary definition:
7 days ago — 1. a : a receptacle for baptismal water b : a receptacle for holy water c : a receptacle for various liquids 2 : source, fountain a font of information.
Excellent review of the literature. And as far as the wind goes, there’s always Chandler’s classic description of “one of those hot dry Santa Anas … that curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch.”
Thanks, Rick. That Chandler quote is great. You've made me want to read more of him.
It takes place in a very different time and place, but "Young Men and Fire" is the classic wildfire book.
Thanks, Jerry. How have I not read that one? I’ll have to try to get to it before I write more about fires.
Wow. Northridge sounded awful. Glad you survived. And, yes, we humans are a strange species.