The most genre-defying, sharpest and wittiest voice in literature Geoff Dyer in conversation with philosopher Alain de Botton
As a child Geoff Dyer spent long hours making and (blotchily) painting model fighter planes. So adult Geoff jumped at the chance of a two-week residency aboard an aircraft carrier. Another Great Day at Sea chronicles Dyer’s experiences on the USS George H.W. Bush as he navigates the routines and protocols of “carrier-world”. It takes us from the elaborate choreography of the flight deck through miles of walkways and hatches to kitchens serving meals for a crew of five thousand to the deafening complexity of catapult and arresting gear.
Underlying Dyer’s efforts to overcome the disadvantages of being the oldest, tallest (actually, second tallest), and most self-conscious person on the boat is an intense fascination with the military world. In recording daily life on board the ship, Dyer illuminates a society where discipline and conformity, dedication and optimism, become a form of self-expression.
Writers in Residence is a set of books, originated by Alain de Botton, that bring together some of the greatest writers and photographers on the planet to reveal the normally faceless organizations that shape the modern world.