Paramedics debate Black Flies
As some of you have heard, cause you know these sorts of things, Shannon Burke's Black Flies will be reviewed on the cover of the upcoming New York Times Book Review. (A review by Liesl Schillinger, whom I particularly admire, making it extra-special.)
But that is not what this post is about. I discovered a rather intense conversation about the book amongst Shannon's former peerd in the paramedic/EMT community. And reading through the whole thing, I felt really proud to have anything at all to do with the seriousness of purpose with which they discussed this novel.
It starts with one paramedic blogger's post, which in turn generates a bunch of comments which that blogger discusses, and then Shannon responds.
Keep in mind, as you read this, what these folks' day job is—life and death, nothing less. It reminds you that fiction actually does matter. It really fucking matters.