Genie Chance was a radio broadcaster in Anchorage when the earthquake hit, and her broadcasts got relayed from Fairbanks to the rest of the world.
"Slowly, people switched on their transistor radios and heard a familiar woman’s voice explaining what had just happened and what to do next. Genie Chance was a part-time radio reporter and working mother who would play an unlikely role in the wake of the disaster, helping to put her fractured community back together. Her tireless broadcasts over the next three days would transform her into a legendary figure in Alaska and bring her fame worldwide—but only briefly. That Easter weekend in Anchorage, Genie and a cast of endearingly eccentric characters—from a mountaineering psychologist to the local community theater group staging Our Town—were thrown into a jumbled world they could not recognize. Together, they would make a home in it again."
I 'met' Jon Mooallem first reading the intro to his book Wild Ones, which I wrote about here.
Then two years later I met him in person while on Bainbridge Island. It turns out his daughter and my granddaughter are friends. It took a while before I realized he was the guy who'd written Wild Ones. And he was now writing about the 1964 Alaska Earthquake. I wrote more about that here.
Well the new book is available as of today. (I'm on his email list so I got a message about this today from him, and also from my daughter.) So if you order it now you can probably get it while you're in isolation.
Meanwhile, this is the compelling audio telling of part of the book's story from two years ago, when he was working on the book. It has lots of audio of Chance broadcasting and other audio from the time of the earthquake. It's like an old fashioned radio show or a long This American Life story. A great activity while you're stuck in the house.
Here's a link where you can order the book from an Independent book store.
Here's a link to podcast interview with Jon from a couple of days ago. I couldn't find a way to embed it here.
Funny this. I was one of those kids in Anchorage back then and I only remember (aside land rolling as if it were rough seas) that I had a great time with neighbours & friends who we would later share meals with, being out of school & lots of play. There was also a lot of snow; lots of cold, a wonderful Alaska winter.
ReplyDeleteIt was the opposite of the isolation we are to keep now in the London where I live today, the countless places where we're told to keep apart from one another, our neighbours, from people next door.
It is, I suppose, a perfect way to contrast these two disasters. And given what would be an awful choice, I would relive that 1964 earthquake over today's plague.
Thanks for this meditation before going to bed tonight, Steve. Appreciated. But you might want to check that it's the 56th anniversary this March 27. I know, as I was turning 10 in 1964.
Thanks Jacob. And yes, it's 56. After I figured it out, I still hit the 6 instead of the 5. I did an earthquake 16 months ago. Not really ready for either quake or plague. It's a little warmer this year. Pushing 50˚F today.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's beautiful today here. Just got my new deck umbrella yesterday; putting it up and getting outside to enjoy!
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