FIRES is coming back on Wednesday, May 25th
Dear Fires Subscribers,
I am excited to say that FIRES is coming back this Wednesday, May 25th. I am aiming to send out a newsletter twice a week at minimum. The amount of newsletters and attention I can devote to this project depends directly on the amount of paying subscribers I have. I hope you’ll consider becoming a paying subscriber if you aren’t one already.
I am choosing not to keep most of my posts behind a paywall, because I think it’s important for everyone to have access to what I publish. That said, only subscribers can comment on posts.
What’s special about this newsletter? Why should you become a paying subscriber?
As a former hotshot who worked on three different hotshot crews throughout the United States and worked on a helicopter out of Fairbanks, Alaska, I have a deep understanding of what wildland fire looks like on the ground.
As a writer an researcher, I am not interested in sensationalized stories— I’m always digging deeper, working to contextualize the current moment in history, while also privileging the needs and experiences of marginalized perspectives.
I am currently writing a book about wildland fire (coming out in August 2022!).
I’m not interested in perpetuating the narrative of the wildland fire industrial complex, but in dissecting the responses of government agencies, local agencies, and nonprofits with a critical eye. Call me an idealist.
My experiences as a firefighter were often tinged with toxic masculinity and aggressiveness. This isn’t my perspective. As someone who lives inside of a marginalized identity, I want to create different ways of thinking of fire and its effect on land and communities.
Read through some of my past posts to get a better idea of what you’re signing on for.
My intention in reviving regular publication is to interpret news stories for my readers, uplift marginalized voices in fire, and interrupt false narratives.
Support me in doing this work. It takes a lot of energy. The more paying subscribers I have, the more time I can devote to this, and once I reach a certain level of paying subscribers I’ll be able to donate funds to organizations who are doing integral work in creating positive relationships with fire, specifically Indigenous groups and non-profits.
If you cannot afford to subscribe, please let me know and I will “comp” you a subscription.
Additionally, you can support this newsletter by sharing it widely, forwarding it, and screenshotting and sharing it online.
I created an Instagram, which I hope to update as I update the newsletter. Please consider following me there, though it’s currently an empty account!
Welcome back!