On May 22, 2011, a category EF-5 tornado devastated Joplin, Missouri. Thousands of residents lost their homes, hundreds were injured, and some 190 were killed. Kansas City sent money, food, and help in the ensuing weeks and months. Journalists were sent, too.
Two of those reporters were Laura Bauer and Eric Adler of the Kansas City Star. I recently had the pleasure of filming interviews with both to promote a new book on their and their colleagues’ experiences in Joplin in the storm’s aftermath. Not all writers are good at being interviewed, but Laura and Eric are articulate, interesting people. My coworker Steve (like me, an ex-journalist), conducted the interview off-camera.
Laura and Eric recently spoke at my library, so I made the video below first to promote that event. However, the Star‘s books team liked it enough to ask me for a version to solely promote the book, so I changed a few title screens at the beginning and end.
