UD alumna Kathryn Miles discusses her book "Superstorm: Nine Days Inside Hurricane Sandy" during a special Delaware Diamonds Society Authors Series event.

Inside a superstorm

UD's Miles discusses book 'Superstorm' with Delaware Diamonds Society members

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9:03 a.m., April 17, 2015--Kathryn Miles, University of Delaware alumna, author and faculty member at Chatham University, returned to campus on April 9 to discuss her recent book, Superstorm: Nine Days Inside Hurricane Sandy, as part of a continuing Author Series hosted by the Delaware Diamonds Society and held in the David and Louise Roselle Center for the Arts.

Described by the Associated Press as “wise and harrowing,” Superstorm strikes a chord for many in the Mid-Atlantic affected by the hurricane’s fallout.

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Speaking to Fellow-level and above members of the Delaware Diamonds Society, a giving society honoring those who support the University with annual leadership gifts of $1,500 or more, Miles offered a gripping recount of the largest Atlantic storm system ever recorded.

Introduced by Nancy Targett, dean of the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment and interim president as of July 1, Miles began her presentation with a trailer of her book before diving into an in-depth discussion about her motivation to write the story. 

Miles’ discussion focused on the sinking of the ill-fated HMS Bounty, a tall ship captained by Robin Walbridge. “His story is our story,” said Miles. “We underestimate the risks and overestimate our own abilities to deal with crisis.” This specific tragedy was covered on the news extensively, leaving viewers and Miles questioning why an old ship was out during such a storm. 

“This story interested me for a lot of different reasons. I am a sailor. I have sailed as a crew member on some of these tall ships. I had written a book on tall ships. And I thought to myself, ‘What would make a captain drive his boat into a storm?’ Before the storm had even made landfall, I was in touch with a magazine,” Miles said.

Miles originally covered the HMS Bounty for the publication Outside and was recognized for excellence in journalism by the Daily Beast and Harvard University’s Neiman Journalism Foundation.

What was once intended to serve solely as an article for the magazine instead served as inspiration for her book.

“What I quickly learned was that really the Bounty was just one narrative thread in this much larger story about the storm,” said Miles to an engaged audience of Delaware Diamonds Society members. “And what seemed so anomalous to me was not at all unprecedented. In fact, in so many ways the decisions the captain made are really emblematic of decisions made throughout the storm.” 

While the Coast Guard was successful in pulling 14 survivors from the vessel, Walbridge and another crew member drowned. 

“[Miles] has a wonderful way of drawing in the audience with her narrative,” said Targett. “She had us hooked from the beginning.”

The Delaware Diamonds Society members also enjoyed a question and answer session, led by McKay Jenkins, Cornelius A. Tilghman Professor of English. Questions ranged from harnessing hurricane power to the author’s development as a writer. “Kate’s presentation was riveting,” said Delaware Diamonds Society co-chair Daniele Elkins, of the Class of 1991. “Thanks to the wonderful Q&A led by Professor McKay Jenkins, society members got to learn about the makings of a great writer.”

“If there is one thing we can learn from what happened with this storm,” said Miles during the conclusion of her lecture, “it is that any time someone says we need to take action, like evacuation, we need to heed those warnings.”

Miles is also the author of All Standing (Simon & Schuster 2011), and Adventures With Ari (Skyhorse 2009). Her work has appeared in dozens of publications including Best American Essays, Between Song and Story, Ecotone, History, How To Write About Anything, Outside, Popular Mechanics and The New York Times.

To learn more about the Delaware Diamonds Society, its Authors Series and how to get involved, visit the website.

Superstorm: Nine Days Inside Hurricane Sandy is available at the UD Barnes and Noble Bookstore.

Photos by Evan Krape

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