Come listen!
I joined Stacy Raine on Tell Me What It’s Like to talk about what it was really like to be among the first women on a US Forest Service fire crew in the 1970s. We discussed:
- What a fire crew did beyond fighting fires
- How I reacted to the discrimination I faced
- Why I loved the job despite the hardships
Here's the link: Tell Me What It's Like
I'm often asked: Why did you want to be a firefighter? What was your goal?
This excerpt from Chapter 19 of my memoir is a glimpse into how taking on a firefighter job went from 'wanting to do something different' to a formal career choice.
If you've not read my book, I hope this passage is intriguing enough to give it a try!
(I've just returned to Florida (Flor-ee-da) Ranger Station after spending two weeks on a 55,000 acre fire.)
Like a loyal friend, Florida Station had waited for my return. Tomorrow would be my last day here. I reported to work in the morning, turning in my gear, key, and driver’s license. Glenn allowed me to clean up my quarters and pack on government time.
On departure day, I simultaneously wanted to go home and not go home. I missed my mom so much my heart ached; but I sensed that Florida wanted me to stay. Joe did, too.
After stashing the last box into my car Skyer, I turned toward the government truck pulling in behind me. Glenn. My breath hitched. Get a grip. I cared for him more than I knew was right. He stood before me, his thumbs hooked through the belt loops of his Levi’s, his cowboy boots shuffling in the dirt. He gazed at me from under the brim of his ever-present Stetson. That always got to me.
In his slow and deep voice, he said, “I want you to know that I think you did a real good job in Northern California on a tough assignment.”
My heart somersaulted. From a man who said little, that simple sentence touched deep into my soul. He was proud of me. Not sure what to say or do, all I managed was, “Thanks.” But I also stood there waiting for him to give me some kind of sign…that what happened in that motel meant more to him than just sex. It was not there. I desperately wanted to hug him, but feared he would not hug me back, or worse, back off. Driving away I checked my rearview mirror to see if he watched me leave. He did.
In Prescott, I rushed to enroll in forestry-related classes at Yavapai College, which I hoped would advance my new career. Despite the aching in my legs from hiking up and down all of those hills on the Klamath, I had a lightness in my step. There were so many challenges last summer: brutal long hours, backbreaking work, intense heat, danger, smoke inhalation, bad food, and no sleep for days on end. Why did I put up with it? Because this job made me feel important; it gave me a purpose in life. Plus, if I could handle those grueling conditions, I could do anything; and what I wanted more than anything was a permanent Forest Service position.
Liz and I talk about my memoir writing journey. I hope you'll come listen!
FINDING MEANING IN MEMOIRS: LINDA STRADER'S INSIGHTFUL JOURNEY
This is me and my tanker crew, Kenai, AK, 1980
My guest today is Becky Shufelt, who hosts a podcast called "Life in the Wildlands." Becky's goal is to encourage and support those interested in working in the great outdoors.
This episode I thought was particularly interesting, having had worked in Alaska back in 1980.
I just learned today that my former Alaska crewmate, Karan, was killed in 1996 by a drunk driver on her way home from work.
Karan and I worked together the summer of 1980 at Wildwood Station in Kenai, Alaska. While we weren't close, we were friends, and I liked Karan. She had a good sense of humor, and we had fun working together.
At the time of her death, Karan and her husband had 2 children, ages 8 and 11. I can't imagine how hard it must have been for her kids and her husband to lose her when she was only 41 years old.
Here's a photo of Karan and me, sitting alongside Skilak Lake.
"The Resilience I Didn't Know I Have"
JUST RELEASED!
Storyteller's True Stories of Triumph
Published by Chicago Story Press
November 27th, 2023
AVAILABLE ON AMAZON!
I met Artemis online about six months ago when she was looking for authors to interview. Artemis is a marketing specialist, and I'm delighted to be featured in Artemis Savory's Writing Rampage newsletter today, October 31st, 2023! I hope you'll check out her website, and if you are a writer, you might want to subscribe to her delightful newsletter.
Linda Strader is the author of Summers of Fire: A Memoir of Adventure, Love, and Courage, and Uprooted: A New Life in the Arizona Sun. Linda is a woman who knows what she wants, and goes after it with ferocity. That’s how she became a firefighter in 1976, in a time when few women worked in male-dominated fields. “I never thought of myself as a tomboy, or [wanted to] prove to men that I could do that tough job, I just went after what I loved.” She stuck with firefighting for a solid seven years. Her first memoir, Summers of Fire, is about her experiences fighting fires, but it’s more than that.
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My guest today is B. Lynn Goodwin, whom I met a number of years ago in a Facebook Writing Group. I invited her to share how her company, Writer Advice, began, and am pleased to share it with you.
Finding a Niche and Filling It: The Story of Writer Advice
Over twenty-five years ago, I stood at the edge of a grassy meadow and realized that the mailing list of thirty-five writers that I’d been given by a site that was closing, could be the start of something big. The thought came unbidden and felt powerful. I’ve never forgotten that moment.
At the time I was single, caring for my mother, and interviewing authors. I wanted to write a book someday and figured the best way to find out where authors got their inspiration and how they learned their craft was to ask them. My first interview was with a local writer named Penny Warner, who’d just published a book about a hearing impaired detective named Connor Westphal. I’d signed up for a class with her, asked her to do the interview, and she said yes.
Of course, I needed a place to publish my author interviews, so when Haven’s List closed, I asked if I could have their mailing list. Their thirty-five person list was a start. I published on web pages that were available to the AOL community.
Eventually a woman named Jeanne Marie Childe took me onto the web and renamed us Writer Advice, a spin off of her e-zine, Novel Advice. Novel Advice is gone too, but Writer Advice persists.
Today, I’ve published three books, a fourth will be coming out soon from a press in London, and I have a fifth manuscript seeking the right publisher. I’ve written flash pieces, articles, and book reviews. In addition, I run a Manuscript Consultation and Editing Service through Writer Advice. We have four contests a year, and we’ve grown to have many additional features including writing and marketing advance. I also run a monthly Writing Extravaganza for StoryCircle.org, and I’m on their board.
I get joy from helping writers with their work. Writer Advice has become a source for writers seeking ideas, inspiration, and feedback. Today, the Internet gives us many ways to reach readers—ways we hadn’t dreamt of years ago.
Of course, there’s plenty of room for us to keep growing. My husband, whose been in my life less than half as long as Writer Advice, encouraged me to find a partner – someone who would eventually take over Writer Advice. I’m still looking for the right person. In the meantime, I’m willing to share opportunities with anyone who is interested. If you have an idea, please query me using the contact box at www.writeradvice.com.
Wherever your writing takes you, I hope you enjoy the journey and I wish you all the best. If Writer Advice, www.writeradvice.com can help you in any way, please reach out to us. We’re here to help writers.
You can find Lynn's books by clicking on the book covers:
B. Lynn Goodwin wrote two award-winning books, a YA called Talent, and a memoir titled Never Too Late: From Wannabe to Wife at 62. She’s also done author interviews, book reviews, and article for WriterAdvice, www.writeradvice.com and Story Circle Network. She writes flash pieces, is an editor and blogger for the San Francisco Writers Conference, and loves helping writers improve.
