I’d mentioned a few months ago that I was working on my first feature story for Outside Magazine. It’s a story about the death of my stepdad, Jerry, who was killed 16 years ago at a remote kayak lodge on California’s Salmon River. Jerry got into a fight with the caretaker of the lodge, who shot Jerry in an act the court later determined was self defense. I reported the story last June, and finally, today, the story is out, in the February issue of Outside. You can get it on newsstands or read it online here. I’m not going to say much more about it – I’d rather you just read the piece. But there is one person I want to thank most of all for making this whole process possible for me: my mom. This story is really her story, she’s the one who lived through it, she’s the one who taught me everything I know about making it through the keeper hole, surviving the tough times, and seeing the light at the end of it all. So, mom, thank you. I know you’re the only one who reads this blog anyway.

Also, since I’m such a huge fan of NPR’s This American Life, I decided to try to create my own podcast to accompany the story. Editing audio is a lot harder than I thought, so please forgive the amateur sound quality and editing. The podcast is of my interview with JD, the man who killed Jerry. You can find it online here.