Skip to main content

Fighting fires on the northern rim of the Grand Canyon.

Writer and ecological historian STEPHEN PYNE. His latest book, Fire on the Rim, A Firefighter's Season at the Grand Canyon, explores the intricacies of fire management, man's relation to the rural western environment, and the summer ritual that changes the canyon and the people who try to protect it. Pyne worked as a firefighter for 15 season's on the northern rim of the Grand Canyon. Pyne describes a life where the firefighter lives in isolation for four months, defined by the fires and the capriciousness of lightning. Pyne, who received a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship for his work in the field of ecological history, has also written about Antartica.

09:32

Other segments from the episode on May 1, 1989

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, May 1, 1989: Interview with Alice Walker; Review of the soundtrack to the film "Ascenseur pour l'échafaud;" Interview with Stephen Pyne; Review of the television show …

Transcript

Transcripts currently not available

Transcripts are created on a rush deadline, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of Fresh Air interviews and reviews are the audio recordings of each segment.

You May Also like

Did you know you can create a shareable playlist?

Advertisement

There are more than 22,000 Fresh Air segments.

Let us help you find exactly what you want to hear.
Just play me something
Your Queue

Would you like to make a playlist based on your queue?

Generate & Share View/Edit Your Queue