Talk with Earl Swift: Environmental Journalism

February 24th, 2022

Coverage by Amara Sorosiak ‘23

The Sophie Kerr Endowment at Washington College welcomed Earl Swift to campus on February 24th to talk about his book Chesapeake Requiem. The event took place in the Hotchkiss Recital Hall, as part of the English Department’s Living Writers: Journalists series. After speaking to Visiting Assistant Professor of English Sufiya Abdur-Rahman’s Living Writers course earlier that day, Swift took to the stage to discuss his process for writing Chesapeake Requiem, and his findings. The nonfiction work reports on Tangier Island, a small island located in the Chesapeake Bay, sandwiched between both parts of Virginia’s coastal plain region, that is steadily dissolving due to climate change. Swift focuses on his talks and experiences with the watermen of Tangier Island and other locals during his 14 month stay, and how their lives have been affected by the many changes happening to the landscape. Swift stated that the project began with his first visit to Tangier Island for New Year’s 2000, as part of an article with his newspaper. During his return in 2015, he noticed a significant amount of the island’s coast had washed away, and concluded that the Tangier Island, as a geographic landmark and as a community, only had about fifteen years left until it disappeared entirely, which compelled Swift to begin Chesapeake Requiem as soon as possible. The talk featured insight into the book, readings from select sections, a Q&A session, and a signing at the end.