TOW #16 - Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of War, Disaster, and Survival

In the memoir, Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of War, Disaster, and Survival, Anderson Cooper recounts his experiences with different types of news stories in a variety of places.  Anderson Cooper is an American journalist, television personality, and author.  He is most known for his work in CNN news.  Hurricane Katrina prompted Cooper in writing this book, which was open for any type of world citizen, no matter who they were or where they came from.  In an attempt to present a new perspective on world crises and conflicts, Cooper wrote about many different events like the tsunami in Sri Lanka, war in Iraq, and the Hurricane Katrina that hit New Orleans. In the beginning of the section about Hurricane Katrina he says, “Since covering Hurricane Charley in 2004, however, I’ve continually volunteered to report on hurricanes. It’s not just the storm itself that I find compelling, but also the hours before and after.  There is a stillness, quietness.  Stores are shut, homes boarded up.  In many ways it feels like a war zone” (Cooper 125).  Through the use of analogy by simile, Cooper is able to explain just how scary and raw a disaster really is.  Most people that are unable to experience such a traumatic event like that, is unable to really understand what it is like.  So by comparing this terrible natural disaster, Cooper is able to put into perspective just how terrifying it really is.  Soon after this, Cooper explains his experience with Hurricane Katrina and says, “It’s easy to get caught up in all the excitement, easy to forget that while you are talking on TV, someone is cowering in a closet with their kids, or drowning in their own living room” (Cooper 127).  By presenting this harrowing imagery, readers are able to see the true reality.  Cooper extends to the audience that have just watched news about a disaster like this, but never experienced it.  Most people when watching news on TV don’t realize that while they get “caught up in all the excitement” they do indeed forget that people are struggling to survive.  He is able to connect with that audience and really show just how scary it is.  Without this perspective, I would feel less informed about crises like that.  In my opinion, I think Anderson Cooper’s memoir was staggering, and a book I had a hard time putting down.  I felt more informed after reading it, and quite really more sympathetic for people that have gone through such terrible times like the ones he talked about in his book.  I would recommend this for anyone that is interested in conflicts across the globe.