Writing from Ripped Headlines
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The fires in Los Angeles have exposed some real limitations that were once unfathomable. As firefighters from across the region joined in to help fight the fires, they soon realized that the unprecedented stress they were putting on the water supplies flowing to the hydrants overwhelmed what was literally in the tank. The suburban hydrant…
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It is late Friday, just after 10 p.m., and I turn off the news and walk toward the bright red bullseye on the front of the plain brick building. The news reverberates in my mind as I walk through the glass doors, a rush of cold air greeting me, a sterilizing splash that neutralizes the…
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On January 1, I set out to develop and publish an 11-episode podcast called, “When Fire Reigns.” It’s about the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904 and the mayor who died just three months later, reportedly by his own doing. Today, I published the first episode, just one day before the 115-year anniversary of the great…
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Now that Fossil Five is in the hands of my editors, I have decided to devote the month of January to building a podcast series on the Baltimore Fire of 1904. It was my thesis project in grad school, and after listening to a bunch of podcasts this past week, I think it is the…
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Campus Cabana swim team members celebrate a narrow home-meet victory against a rival pool. photo: Steve Killian, Towson, MD, July 2011 A string of penalties and punishments associated with unsportsmanlike behavior, both locally and nationally, has crossed our news feeds recently, sparking spirited debates in backyards, school parking lots, and online forums. The point of…
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As reported in CNN tonight (click here to read the article), a tragic scene unfolded today as a lone gunman took several students hostage. After he had released all but two of the teenage girls, SWAT teams stormed the school to rescue them. The gunman, however, was too quick for them, and he was able…
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I think that one of the greatest skills we can learn as writers is how to be good listeners. In the last week alone, I have closed my mouth and opened my heart to hear more stories of love, tragedy, revenge, and sacrifice than any one human being can rightly claim to hear in a…
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The phone calls have been heavy this morning, as friends and family members wake to the news that the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, was killed early Monday by a sting ray. Normally, this would probably be like the death of any other celebrity, where we’re all in a bit of shock over the news, and…
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Washingtonpost.com has just reported that President Bush just landed in Iraq to meet newly named Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and discuss the next steps in the troubled, three-year-old war. So here’s where I’ll take this: Troubled president makes a surprise visit in country where no. 1 terrorist has just been killed. Troubled president and administration…
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