Podcast appearances and mentions of Brendan I Koerner

Hi Loyal Readers. Thank you for opening this week's issue of Article Club.In case you're new here: Every month over the last five-plus years, we've done a deep dive on an outstanding article. This means reading, annotating, and discussing the piece on Zoom. It also means inviting the author to share their views in a podcast interview. They almost always say yes. Click here and scroll down to check out all the authors we've had.Today's issue is dedicated to my interview with Brendan I. Koerner, author of this month's featured article, “The Spectacular Burnout of a Solar Panel Salesman.” Scroll down for:* a quick review of the article (and why I liked it so much)* a short bio of the author (and why I appreciated our conversation)* an invite to our discussion on June 1The Article (and why I liked it so much)“The Spectacular Burnout of a Solar Panel Salesman”Original Article • My Annotations • Gift Link • Wired (20 minutes)Eighteen-year-old Aaron Colvin lives in New York and attends college at Niagara University. But like many young men right now, Aaron is unsure that college is for him. He feels incomplete, lost somehow — and he's yearning for a way to make it big. Then one day, while at the gym, Aaron meets a bodybuilder, an enormous man who says he's made “crazy money” selling solar panels down in Florida. You should check it out, he says. After thinking about it, Aaron takes the plunge, leaving college to join a door-to-door solar panel sales crew named Seal Team Six. He spends his days “blitzing” neighborhoods with his colleagues — also young men wanting to strike it rich. In the evenings, Aaron records content for his fledgling YouTube channel and downs burritos with the bros, all the while seeking personal enlightenment (and paying for his lodging, and making very little money, and not receiving benefits).I've been telling people, this article is quintessential Article Club material. The writing is superb, the pace is quick, and most importantly, you'll have empathy for Aaron, because Mr. Koerner writes with compassion. In addition, the piece explores many of the topics we care about: masculinity, capitalism, higher education, technology, and the American dream. If you haven't read it yet, I hope you try it.The Author (and why I appreciated our conversation)Brendan I. Koerner is a contributing editor at Wired, where he writes in-depth stories about criminal justice, national security, biomedical research, and sundry other topics. Mr. Koerner is also the author of two books of narrative nonfiction: Now the Hell Will Start, the tale of an American G.I. who went native in the Indo-Burmese jungle, and The Skies Belong to Us, a history of the American hijacking epidemic of the late 1960s and early 1970s.I appreciated my conversation with Mr. Koerner for many reasons. We covered a wide range of topics, including how this article came about, how he found Aaron, and why he was interested in the topic. Mr. Koerner also spoke about how he reported and organized the piece, and most importantly, how he wanted the reader to feel about Aaron. He said, “ We have to come out of this admiring Aaron, because I admire Aaron. He made kind of a foolish choice, which he acknowledges, and he went through something kind of crazy, but I admire him. I admire his authenticity. I admire his earnestness. I admire his perspective and his intellect.”It was illuminating to hear Mr. Koerner share his thoughts on the challenges that young men face and the allure of get-rich-quick schemes, especially when they embrace notions of spirituality and self-help and cultiness. I liked the entire interview, but my favorite part was when Mr. Koerner talked about his teenage son, who is not much younger than Aaron. My hope is that you'll take a listen.Note: If you prefer listening on Apple Podcasts, you can subscribe to Article Club there. It's easy: Click here.An invitation to our discussion on June 1I warmly invite you to participate in our discussion on Sunday, June 1, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT. We'll meet on Zoom. You can sign up below.If it's your first time: We'll spend the first few minutes saying hi and doing short introductions. Then after I frame the piece and share our community agreements, we'll break out into small, facilitated discussion groups. The small groups usually include 5-8 people, so there's plenty of time to share your perspectives and listen to others. That's where we'll spend the bulk of our time. Toward the end, we'll return to the full group, sharing our reflections and appreciations of fellow participants.If you're unsure, I get it. If you don't know me, it might feel strange to sign up for an online discussion with total strangers. But I'm confident that you'll find yourself at home with other kind people who like to read deeply and explore ideas in community. It's not a surprise that we're able to create an intimate space, almost like we're in the same physical room together. I hope you'll try it!Thank you for reading and listening to this week's issue. Hope you liked it.

The mystery of D.B. Cooper with the host of The Cooper Vortex podcast. In the news, automatic takeoffs from Embraer, Southwest's business improvement plan and the reaction by the activist Elliott hedge fund, the airship crash in Brazil, the Rolls-Royce electric propulsion unit, and the bad air travel decisions allegedly made by the Mayor of New York City. We also hear from Hillel and a listener about the Boeing Starliner, and from several listeners about executive jets. D.B. Cooper artist sketch. Guest Darren Schaefer is the host of the The Cooper Vortex podcast. Darren grew up in Woodland, Washington next to where D.B. Cooper is believed to have landed, and had been passionate about the mystery for a decade. In the podcast he started years ago, Darren interviews experts who have something to contribute to the conversation about the mystery, such as authors, pilots, aircrew, paratroopers, and skydivers. D.B. Cooper hijacked Orient Airlines Flight 305, a B727, on November 24, 1971. Cooper said he had a bomb and demanded $200,000 in ransom. Upon landing in Seattle, Cooper requested parachutes, released the passengers, and told the crew to refuel the aircraft and fly to Mexico City after refueling in Reno, Nevada. During that flight, Cooper opened the airplane's aft door and parachuted into the night over Washington state. He was never seen again. This remains America's only unsolved skyjacking. Darren helps us understand why the public remains intrigued with D.B. Cooper after decades have passed, how “Dan Cooper” became “D.B. Cooper,” and how that helped the FBI weed out those who claimed to be Cooper. Darren tells us about Cooper copycats, available physical evidence, and changes to commercial aviation made to reduce airliner hijacking. That includes the “Cooper vane” which locks the B727 aft stairs. (Darren wants one so contact him if you know a source.) He also describes how the three segments of the DB Cooper community (aviation people, skydivers, and true crime fans) view the mystery. We note D.B. Cooper's thoughtfulness toward the passengers and crew, and his apparent technical knowledge suggesting an aerospace background. Darren will be the master of ceremonies at CooperCon 2024 the annual DB Cooper Convention being held at the Seattle Museum of Flight November 15-17, 2024. Books of interest: The Skies Belong to Us, Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking by Brendan I. Koerner. Skyjack: The Hunt for D. B. Cooper, by Geoffrey Gray. See FBI Records: The Vault, D. B. Cooper and Key piece of evidence in D.B. Cooper investigation to be displayed at Tacoma museum. Aviation News Automatic takeoffs are coming for passenger jets and they're going to redraw the map of the sky Along with other improvements announced at Farnborough, Embraer is introducing the “E2 Enhanced Take Off System,” an automated takeoff system designed for the company's E2 jets. Embraer says “This automatic take off system produces a more precise and efficient rotation moment and flight trajectory, reducing the required field length and pilot workload; meaning more payload and more range from challenging airports. This gives the E2 best in class performance from airports like London City, Florence, and Santos Dumont. Adding 350NM in range from LCY for example.” Embraer has started flight testing and aims for approval by aviation authorities in 2025. Southwest Airlines to cut service and staffing in Atlanta to slash costs According to a company memo seen by CNBC, for the April 2025 bid, Southwest is planning to reduce service in Atlanta and cut as many as 140 pilot and 200 flight attendant jobs. Southwest will reduce Atlanta gates to 11 from the current 18. Activist hedge fund Elliott Investment Management continues to call for Southwest CEO Bob Jordan to resign. The CEO of Southwest Airlines called an activist investor's criticisms 'inane' Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said it is inane that Ellio...

Darkness Syndicate members get the commercial-free version: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8sztexIN THIS EPISODE: Jerold Haas was on the brink of blockchain riches. Then his body was found in the woods of southern Ohio.SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE…“The Strange Death of a Genius Computer Coder” by Brendan I. Koerner for Wired: https://tinyurl.com/ty22blkWeird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. = = = = =(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness.= = = = =Originally aired: January 19, 2020CUSTOM LANDING PAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/ninjacoder/

SponsorBuzzsprout - last week, 3,686 people started a podcast with Buzzsprout Special GuestLauren Passell - CEO TinkMedia talks about why she has launched a podcast swap database for podcasters interested in setting up a promo swap for their podcast.Notes & Links: An Anchor podcast called Soldier of Misfortune has been accused of being a shameless rip-off by Brendan I Koerner, a journalist for The Atlantic . He accuses the podcaster, Jesse Rapaport, of knowingly stealing his work. Spotify says that they'll continue losing money from their podcast acquisitions in 2022, but podcasting should begin to make a profit at a time “not too far away”.Podcast host Anchor's creator interface is now available in 35 different languages. Of the top five podcast hosts, Omny Studio is in six languages, Spreaker is available in four; Buzzsprout and Libsyn only offer English, though YouTube is in 82 different languagesApple Podcasts has now added follower metrics for all your shows in Apple Podcasts ConnectAdvertisers should move money away from podcasts that don't provide transcripts, says Bryan Barletta in Sounds Profitable Spotify Live went live in the US.iHeartMedia is making an NFT-based podcast networkPodchaser has launched an API for sponsors and ad spends

Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: David Leonhardt for The New York Times: “The Lab-Leak Theory” Nicholson Baker for New York Magazine: “The Lab-Leak Hypothesis” Nicholas Wade for The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: “The Origin of COVID: Did People or Nature Open Pandora’s Box at Wuhan?” Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic: “Other Regimes Will Hijack Planes Too” The Skies Belong to Us: Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking, by Brendan I. Koerner Eric Levitz for New York Magazine: “David Shor on Why Trump Was Good for the GOP and How Dems Can Win in 2022” Eric Levitz for New York Magazine: “David Shor’s Unified Theory of American Politics” Here’s this week’s chatter: John: Mark Mortensen and Heidi K. Gardner for Harvard Business Review: “WFH Is Corroding Our Trust in Each Other” Emily: Patrick Smith for WBEZ: “Mayor Lori Lightfoot Blamed Gun Violence On Judges, But Emails Show Her Staff Knew It Wasn’t True” David: Apple Photos “Memories” feature Listener chatter from Jen Overbeck: Alan Burdick for The New York Times: “So You Want to End the Conversation?” For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Emily, John, and David talk about the difficulties of ending a conversation that has run its course. If you enjoy the show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the Political Gabfest. Sign up now at slate.com/gabfestplus to help support our work. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Margaret Kelley. Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosts Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, David Plotz Follow @SlateGabfest on Twitter / https://twitter.com/SlateGabfest Slate Gabfest on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/Gabfest/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: David Leonhardt for The New York Times: “The Lab-Leak Theory” Nicholson Baker for New York Magazine: “The Lab-Leak Hypothesis” Nicholas Wade for The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: “The Origin of COVID: Did People or Nature Open Pandora’s Box at Wuhan?” Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic: “Other Regimes Will Hijack Planes Too” The Skies Belong to Us: Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking, by Brendan I. Koerner Eric Levitz for New York Magazine: “David Shor on Why Trump Was Good for the GOP and How Dems Can Win in 2022” Eric Levitz for New York Magazine: “David Shor’s Unified Theory of American Politics” Here’s this week’s chatter: John: Mark Mortensen and Heidi K. Gardner for Harvard Business Review: “WFH Is Corroding Our Trust in Each Other” Emily: Patrick Smith for WBEZ: “Mayor Lori Lightfoot Blamed Gun Violence On Judges, But Emails Show Her Staff Knew It Wasn’t True” David: Apple Photos “Memories” feature Listener chatter from Jen Overbeck: Alan Burdick for The New York Times: “So You Want to End the Conversation?” For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Emily, John, and David talk about the difficulties of ending a conversation that has run its course. If you enjoy the show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the Political Gabfest. Sign up now at slate.com/gabfestplus to help support our work. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Margaret Kelley. Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosts Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, David Plotz Follow @SlateGabfest on Twitter / https://twitter.com/SlateGabfest Slate Gabfest on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/Gabfest/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Alice and Kim talk books that explore unsolved historical mysteries and share new nonfiction about Black rebellion, nostalgic essays about travel, and more. Follow For Real using RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. For more nonfiction recommendations, sign up for our True Story newsletter, edited by Alice Burton. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Nonfiction in the News Barack & Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Adapting Heather McGhee’s ‘The Sum of Us’ As Spotify Podcast Series [Deadline] Greta Lee To Star In, Write & EP Series Adaptation Of Cathy Park Hong’s Book ‘Minor Feelings’ With A24 [Yahoo] Film of Michael Lewis’ ‘The Premonition’ in Works [Kirkus] New Nonfiction The Window Seat: Notes from a Life in Motion by Aminatta Forna Electric City: The Lost History of Ford and Edison’s American Utopia by Thomas Hager Downeast: Five Maine Girls and the Unseen Story of Rural America by Gigi Georges America on Fire: The Untold History of Police Violence and Black Rebellion Since the 1960s by Elizabeth Hinton Better, Not Bitter: Living on Purpose in the Pursuit of Racial Justice by Yusef Salaam Tastes Like War by Grace Cho History’s Mysteries Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident by Donnie Eichar Sensational: The Hidden History of America’s “Girl Stunt Reporters” by Kim Todd Ghost Ship: The Mysterious True Story of the Mary Celeste and Her Missing Crew by Brian Hicks The Skies Belong to Us: Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking by Brendan I. Koerner Reading Now Once Upon a Time I Lived on Mars: Space, Exploration, and Life on Earth by Kate Greene All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells Three Martini Afternoons at the Ritz: The Rebellion of Sylvia Plath & Anne Sexton by Gail Crowther See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's edition of Sunday Book Review: Origins of Hijacking. Violence in the Skies by Philip Baum Move to terrorism. The Skies Belong to Us: Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking by Brendan I. Koerner DB Cooper. DB by Elwood Reid 9/11. The Eleventh Day: The Full Story of 9/11 by Anthony Summers and Robyn Swan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1974, a United States diplomat was kidnapped by the People's Liberation Army of Mexico. His wife fought for his release but U.S. policy forbid the government from paying his ransom. Tune in to hear a true life account involving President Nixon, John McCain, Henry Kissinger, the “Hanoi Hilton”, a hijacking, and border crossings. Brendan I. Koerner, author and writer for the Atlantic joins us. Special thanks to our sponsor Nota.

In 1974, a United States diplomat was kidnapped by the People’s Liberation Army of Mexico. His wife fought for his release but U.S. policy forbid the government from paying his ransom. Tune in to hear a true life account involving President Nixon, John McCain, Henry Kissinger, the “Hanoi Hilton”, a hijacking, and border crossings. Brendan I. Koerner, author and writer for the Atlantic joins us. Special thanks to our sponsor Nota.

In 1974, a United States diplomat was kidnapped by the People's Liberation Army of Mexico. His wife fought for his release but U.S. policy forbid the government from paying his ransom. Tune in to hear a true life account involving President Nixon, John McCain, Henry Kissinger, the “Hanoi Hilton”, a hijacking, and border crossings. Brendan I. Koerner, author and writer for the Atlantic joins us. Special thanks to our sponsor Nota.

S Bárou z literárního podcastu Do slov jsme daly do kupy knihy, které jsme přečetly v posledních týdnech a v tomhle podcastu si o nich nad kafíčkem povídáme. Pozor, pravděpodobnost, že po tomhle podcastu budete nakupovat novou literaturu, je veliká! ;-) Pro pořádek přidávám seznam knih, které v epizodě zmiňujeme: Přípravy na všechno (Elsa Aids) Nebe patří nám (Brendan I. Koerner) Gwilanina harfa a jiné povídky (Ursula K. Le Guin) Dívka, žena, jiné (Bernardine Evaristo) Lanny / Žal je to s křídly / The Death of Francis Bacon (Max Porter) Zřídlo (Akwaeke Emezi) Sebevrazi (Antonio Di Benedetto) Tiny Pretty Things (Sona Charaipotra, Danielle Clayton) I'm Not Dying With You Tonight (Kimberly Jones, Gilly Segal) Navždycky (Olga Biernátová) Daleko od stromu (Robin Benway) Praskliny (Klára Vlasáková) Soběstačný (Zuzana Dostálová) Feminismus pro 99 % (Cinzia Arruzza, Tithi Bhattacharya, Nancy Fraser)

Please SHARE this episode with someone who loves paranormal stories, true crime, monsters, or mysteries like you do! Telling others about Weird Darkness helps make it possible for me to keep doing the podcast! IN THIS EPISODE: Jerold Haas was on the brink of blockchain riches. Then his body was found in the woods of southern Ohio. STORY SOURCES AND MUSIC CREDITS…(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in the show notes immediately.)“The Strange Death of a Genius Computer Coder” by Brendan I. Koerner for Wired: https://tinyurl.com/ty22blk Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. Background music, varying by episode, provided by Alibi Music, EpidemicSound and/or AudioBlocks with paid license. Music from Shadows Symphony (https://tinyurl.com/yyrv987t), Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ), Kevin MacLeod (https://tinyurl.com/y2v7fgbu), Tony Longworth (https://tinyurl.com/y2nhnbt7), and/or Nicolas Gasparini/Myuu (https://tinyurl.com/lnqpfs8) is used with permission. 

ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS… TRANSCRIPT FOR THIS EPISODE (if available): Visit WeirdDarkness.com, search for the title of this episode, click on episode photo, then scroll down the blog post. Transcript will be at the bottom of the blog post.HOT 50 CHART VOTING: https://WeirdDarkness.com/VOTE BECOME A PATRON: https://WeirdDarkness.com/Patron(Amazon links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)WANT TO ADVERTISE ON WEIRD DARKNESS OR BE A SPONSOR?Weird Darkness has partnered with AdvertiseCast to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. They're great to work with and will help you advertise on the show. Email sales@advertisecast.com or start the process now at https://weirddarkness.com/advertise = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46Find out how to escape eternal darkness at https://weirddarkness.com/eternaldarkness WeirdDarkness™ - is a registered trademark. Copyright ©Weird Darkness 2020.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Brendan Koerner is a contributing editor for Wired Magazine, and his work has appeared in The New York Times, Slate, Harpers, and ESPN the magazine. He's the author of Now the Hell Will Start and The Skies Belong to Us - Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking.   Follow Brendan on Twitter! https://twitter.com/brendankoerner   Buy Brendan's Books! https://www.amazon.com/Brendan-I-Koerner/e/B001JP7QM0?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1608595508&sr=1-1   If you have questions, comments, or if you know who DB Cooper was, you can reach us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or email us at dbcooperpodcast@gmail.com. If you enjoyed the show please leave us a review! https://www.facebook.com/TheCooperVortex https://twitter.com/DBCooperPodcast   Thank you for checking out our show! Russell Colbert and Darren Schaefer    

If you’re already a Weirdo family member, please share the podcast with your friends and family on social media, email, and text to invite them to give it a listen!Tired of commercials interrupting your listening experience? For just $5 per month you can listen to all past, present, and future #WeirdDarkness episodes commercial-free – plus BONUS AUDIO and news about the podcast! Learn more at: http://www.WeirdDarkness.com/WEIRDO.IN THIS EPISODE: Jerold Haas was on the brink of blockchain riches. Then his body was found in the woods of southern Ohio. 
MENTIONED LINKS IN THE EPISODE...“Can Alexa Communicate With The Dead?” episode: http://weirddarkness.com/archives/5452 UPCOMING EVENTS & CONTESTS...Next WEIRDOS WATCH PARTY: Sun. 01/19/20, 11pm CT (http://EerieLateNight.com)Next ON-LOCATION LIVE SCREAM: Sat. 02/08/20, 2pm CT (http://weirddarkness.com/events)SUPPORT THE PODCAST…Become a PATRON (Official Weirdo): http://www.WeirdDarkness.com/WEIRDO Leave Your Review: https://ratethispodcast.com/weirddarkness Visit my sponsors: http://www.WeirdDarkness.com/sponsors STORY AND MUSIC CREDITS/SOURCES...(Note: Over time links can and may become invalid, disappear, or have different content.)“The Strange Death of a Genius Computer Coder” by Brendan I. Koerner for Wired: https://tinyurl.com/ty22blk Weird Darkness opening and closing theme by Alibi Music Library. Weird Darkness secondary theme by Manuel Marino. Weird@Work music bed by Audioblocks. Background music provided by EpidemicSound and AudioBlocks with paid license. Music by Shadows Symphony (http://bit.ly/2W6N1xJ), Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ), and Nicolas Gasparini/Myuu (http://bit.ly/2LykK0g) used with permission. MY RECORDING TOOLS…* MICROPHONE (Neumann TLM103): http://amzn.to/2if01CL* POP FILTER (AW-BM700): http://amzn.to/2zRIIyK* XLR CABLE (Mogami Gold Studio): http://amzn.to/2yZXJeD * MICROPHONE PRE-AMP (Icicle): http://amzn.to/2vLqLzg * SOFTWARE (Adobe Audition): http://amzn.to/2vLqI6E * HARDWARE (iMac Pro): https://amzn.to/2suZGkA I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use. If I somehow overlooked doing that for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I’ll rectify it the show notes as quickly as possible.***WeirdDarkness™ - is a trademark and creation of of Marlar House Productions. Copyright © Marlar House Productions, 2019."I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46 *** How to escape eternal darkness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IYmodFKDaM

This week we read The Deal by Elle Kennedy and talk about hockey, musical theater and Bad Company.   Read: The Deal by Elle Kennedy   The Skies Belong To Us by Brendan I. Koerner     Find us: Instagram @learningthetropes Twitter @learningtropes Facebook Learning The Tropes Podcast Join The Learning The Tropes Troop! email: learningthetropespodcast@gmail.com

Brendan I. Koerner talks about “Megafire” and “Firestorm,” and Henry Fountain discusses “The Great Quake.”

Recommended by major dude and friend of the show Tom Keiser, it's time for J and Collision to endure the long lines and longer speeches of... Airport, Arthur Hailey's 1968 ode to MEN and their DECISIONS and their FEELINGS. You need to know, though: this ain't the summer of love.  Also, you can pack your bags and you can leave tonight, but this book ain't exactly your ticket to paradise, people.  Grab a tiny bottle of dad's medicine, find your most comfortable pair of travelling shoes, and join us where the departures meet the arrivals. Recommendations: The Skies Belong to Us, Brendan I. Koerner The Talented Mr. Ripley, Patricia Highsmith   Music: "LA Internatonal Airport" by Susan Raye "Broken Wings" by Mister Mister "Fear of Flying" by Teenage Fanclub "Jean Claude Bland Dan In A Steel Cage Match With Mean Steve Segal For The Title Of Crowned King Of Hilfiger Apparel: WWF Style" by Spazz

The Skies Belong to Us: Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking

"...they didn't even make hijacking a crime..."

Brendan I. Koerner is a contributing editor at Wired and the author of The Skies Belong to Us. "It was this big review in The New York Times and I was terrified that it was going to say something awful about the book or about me as a writer. And my son said to me — he's 5, I should say — "If it's bad, you won't die." That's a good point, you know? So I always think of that when I pick up a new review and take that risk of someone slamming something that I've genuinely poured my heart and soul into." Thanks to TinyLetter and the Literary Reportage Department at NYU's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute for sponsoring this week's episode. Show notes: @brendankoerner microkhan.com [3:30] The Skies Belong to Us: Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking (Crown • 2013) [5:15] Now The Hell Will Start: One Soldier's Flight from the Greatest Manhunt of World War II (Penguin • 2009) [7:45] "Piano Demon" (The Atavist • Jan 2011) [37:45] Koerner's archive at Slate

It’s hard to imagine today, but there was a golden age of hijacking.  Over a five-year period, starting in 1968, commercial jets we hijacked nearly once a week, using guns, bombs, and jars of acid. Some hijackers wished to escape to Cuba, or Saigon.  Many,  imagined being hailed as heroes; others aimed to swap hostages for sacks of cash. Their exploits mesmerized the country.But perhaps the the story that captures the nation's attention on many levels was the the young lovers at the heart of Brendan I. Koerner’s  story of this period told in his his book The Skies Belong to Us: Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking.My conversation with Brendan Koerner: 

Brendan I. Koerner [The Skies Belong to Us] Stuart Jeffries [Is being ungoogleable the new black?] http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/51123