Monday, November 22, 2021

#IfYouReadOneThingToday - On Fire

I'm an ardent fan of long form journalism, as I believe the form can educate, inform, and move readers in ways that more timely pieces simply can't.

I grew up reading magazine articles, long, detailed features that took ages to work through and stuck with you long after you had moved onto something else.

Some of the best writers of our time are feature writers, and this particular piece from over two decades ago stands out as a particularly memorable example of the genre, a searing reminder of the simple power of a human story.

I occasionally share these pieces under the #IfYouReadOneThingToday banner. And while I can't say I want you to enjoy this particularly tragic read, I do hope it moves you as it moved me.

The Perfect Fire
It started with a candle in an abandoned warehouse. It ended with temperatures above 3,000 degrees and the men of the Worcester Fire Department in a fight for their lives.
By Sean Flynn
July 1, 2000
Esquire

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