The Louisiana Sinkhole that Swallowed Eleven Barges with novelist and poet Allan Wolf

Welcome to Twice 5 Miles Radio. I'm your host, James Navé. I'm thrilled to welcome my old friend, novelist, and poet, Allan Wolf, to the microphone. I've known Allan since the late 80s when we, along with a group of collaborators, developed Poetry Alive!, a theater company dedicated to theatrically performing poetry for school students in assembly programs and classroom workshops. Fast forward to today, Allan is a celebrated Candlewick Press author with an impressive repertoire of over 20 books. His novel, "The Watch That Ends the Night," has been rightfully placed among the 50 Best YA Books of All Time by Booklist. In today's episode, Allan delves into his latest project, a riveting exploration of the 1980 Lake Peigneur sinkhole disaster in Louisiana. This strange and massive event, which remarkably claimed no lives, transformed a 10-foot-deep freshwater lake into a 200-foot-deep saltwater basin. Our conversation also navigates the responsibilities and realities of being a writer. We discuss the often romanticized notion of writing and its contrast with the authentic, everyday act of putting pen to paper. Allan and I ponder the concept of writing not for fame or importance but as a reflection of our daily lives—a perspective that could redefine success in the literary world. Allan's insights and our shared history make this exchange as comfortable as a vintage shirt meant to be worn for a lifetime. Enjoy the show