May 22, 2008
I first learned about Bill as a fan of U2 in the early 90s. They were in the middle of their historic Zoo TV concerts, and there was a war going on in Bosnia.
This man, Bill Carter, an American who was in Sarajevo working with a humanitarian aid organization, was responsible for linking a satellite from the live war to U2 concerts around Europe each night. He wanted the rest of the world to know what was happening in this place of peril. Sarajevo residents would speak about their horrors free of censors and Bono would interact with them in front of thousands of people.
Why on earth would U2 allow such a buzzkill during their rock ‘n’ roll shows? Because they cared. Because Bill’s story got to them. Because they had a large audience and awareness was important.
After the war, Bill made a brilliant documentary about the resilience of the people he met in the war called Miss Sarajevo, which U2 wrote the theme song for and Bono produced.
A fast fan of this film, I decided to buy Bill’s memoir, Fools Rush In, which chronicles his life leading up to the war, explains a time of incredible personal loss, and details his involvement with U2. Because of the honest, raw writing, I fell in love with the book and began buying it for everyone I knew.
When I heard he had written a second memoir and would go on an author tour for its release, I promptly cleared my calendar (giving up most of the opening night at SIFF) to be at his Seattle event.
This second book, Red Summer, focused on Bill’s recent time as a fisherman in Alaska.
Normally, a fishing story wouldn’t be my first choice in the non-fiction section, but just reading a few excerpts online I knew that it would have Bill’s trademark authenticity and be more about the journey than the topic. And I was right.
The story follows his time learning the ropes of this dangerous job and also finding a new peace in life, which led him to build a family.
His reading at Elliot Bay was warm and sincere, and he kept the audience captivated from start to finish telling tales of his adventures.
I was lucky enough to get some time with Bill in the little café beneath the bookstore and identified myself as a writer for @U2. We chatted about his time with U2 and he indulged me with anecdotes and memories. He could not have been more kind to me.
In June of 2010, promoting the re-release of Red Summer by a new publisher, my friend Barb and I attended his fisherman’s dinner at Ray’s Boathouse. He made his rounds to the various tables to sign books and when he got to mine, I was greeted with a warm hug. We chatted like old friends and caught each other up on the goings on in our respective worlds. Same old Bill with a twinkle in his eye and amazing stories to tell.
I adore this man.
Though he has a heavy travel schedule, a wife and two small children, he is always prompt about returning e-mails and thoughtful with his responses.
Bill is a hero of mine for how he has lived his life and how he shares such intimate parts of it with the world. He is a creative force using writing, photography and film to express himself and educate those of us who are shy to such adventures.
If you haven’t read his books, I urge you to check them out. You won’t be disappointed.