Journalists, poets, photographers, artists, and ordinary citizens have documented the profound and lasting impact of campfires. Here are the books we’ve included in the biblio file along with excerpts from my reviews; For more information, check out the column archive at dielbee.blogspot.com.
“The Campfire 2018: Living on the Ridge” by Paula Link
“The link summarizes some of the harrowing accounts of the escape found on YouTube, and includes dozens of full-color photographs.”
“Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire” by Lizzy Johnson
“Johnson’s story, the result of 500 interviews, is unparalleled in its emotional intensity, taking readers deep into the lives of mostly working-class Ridge residents on that fateful Thursday.”
“After/Ashes: A Campfire Anthology” edited by John Lapine
“When the editors were writing a new anthology of prose, poetry and images – a creative response to campfire – it took seventeen days to fully absorb it.”
Campfire: Dreams, Nightmares, and Hopes” by JR Henson
“His escape on the day of the fire was even more painful because his truck was low on gas. He traces his emotional journey through poems and essays….”
“I Escape the California Campfire” by Scott Peters and SD Brown
“The story is a fictional account of the fire based on published reports.”
“Fire in Paradise: An American Tragedy” by Alastair Gee and Danny Angiano
“Drawing on hundreds of interviews, they tell the story of the campfire with skill and poise.”
People, Places & Pieces of Paradise” by Douglas Keister
“Keister created stunning images that capture the spirit of Paradise….”
Heaven Is Not Lost: Embracing Resilience in the Face of Loss by Carrie Carter
“From family members to valuables, even her marriage, there are losses. Yet she finds endurance.
“My Name is Haley and I Live in Paradise” written and illustrated by Steve Ferchaud
“Memories of Heaven in a Children’s Book for All Ages.”
“California Campfires: Reflections and Remnants” by photographer Ron Schwager
“…a masterpiece that makes readers pause and reflect with every turn of the page.”
“California Burning: The Fall of Pacific Gas and Electric – What It Means for America’s Power Grid” by Katherine Blunt
“… the measured but disastrous history of PG&E.”
“Burnt Offerings” by artist Steve Ferchaud
“After the fire, he decided to compile all 62 sketches into a book, the proceeds of which would go to help campfire survivors.”
“Burn Scar: A Contemporary Disaster Thriller” by TJ Tao (Michael J. Orr)
After surviving the fire, the author offers a fictional version in Idaho.
Paradise Found: The Rise of a High School Football Team, by Bill Plaschke
“Reporting on Bobcats’ first football season since Campfire.”
“Fire on the Ridge: A Collection of Poems” by Bill Hartley
Joy Lynn Candy’s Ruin, Poems for Relieving Grief.
“Out of the Ashes: A Story of Survival in the Aftermath of Two Historic Wildfires” by Antoinette Pepler
2016 Saddle Fire followed by Camp Fire.
“Where to next?” By Joanne Goodrow
From eviction to an epidemic, the Chico poet asks a profound question.
“The Sound of the Snow Geese: A True Story of Surviving California’s Deadliest Wildfire” by Dax Meredith
“… she and one of her young sons fled from Magalia to Paradise and were caught in a campfire.”
Dan Barnett teaches philosophy at Butte College. Send review requests to [email protected] Columns archived at https://barnetto.substack.com
