Caroline Paul
Encyclopedia
Caroline Paul is an American
writer
of fiction
and nonfiction. She was raised in Connecticut (her father was an investment banker, her mother a social worker), and educated in journalism
and documentary film
at Stanford University
. She worked as a journalist at Berkeley public radio station KPFA
before (in 1988) joining the San Francisco Fire Department
, as one of the first women hired by the department. She worked most of her career on Rescue 2, where she and her crew were responsible for search and rescue in fires. Rescue 2 members were also trained and sent on scuba dive searches, rope and rappelling rescues, surf rescues, confined space rescues, all hazardous material calls, and the most severe train and car wrecks.
Her first book was the nonfiction memoir
Fighting Fire, published in 1998. Her second, the 2006 historical novel
East Wind, Rain is based on the Niihau Incident
, a historical event in which a Japanese pilot crash-landed on the private Hawaiian island of Niihau
, after the attack on Pearl Harbor
. She is a member of the San Francisco Writers' Grotto, a workspace co-operative that also includes Po Bronson
, Tom Barbash
, Stephen Elliott
, Peter Orner
, ZZ Packer
, Jason Roberts
, Ethan Watters
and B. Ruby Rich
.
Her identical twin sister is Baywatch
actress Alexandra Paul
. Together, the two sisters occupied a single slot on People Magazine's list of "50 Most Beautiful People" for 1997. Her younger brother Jonathan Paul is a militant animal rights activist; he is currently serving a four year sentence in federal prison for the 1997 arson of a slaughterhouse in Redmond, Oregon.
Caroline flies ultralights and paragliders. An accomplished athlete, she has competed on the U.S. National Luge
Team in trials for the Olympics.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
of fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
and nonfiction. She was raised in Connecticut (her father was an investment banker, her mother a social worker), and educated in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
and documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. She worked as a journalist at Berkeley public radio station KPFA
KPFA
KPFA is a listener-funded progressive talk radio and music radio station located in Berkeley, California, broadcasting to the San Francisco Bay Area. KPFA airs public news, public affairs, talk, and music programming. The station signed on-the-air April 15 1949, as the first Pacifica Station...
before (in 1988) joining the San Francisco Fire Department
San Francisco Fire Department
The San Francisco Fire Department provides fire and emergency services to the City and County of San Francisco, California.The San Francisco Fire Department, along with the San Francisco Police Department and San Francisco Sheriff's Department, serves an estimated population of 1.4 million people...
, as one of the first women hired by the department. She worked most of her career on Rescue 2, where she and her crew were responsible for search and rescue in fires. Rescue 2 members were also trained and sent on scuba dive searches, rope and rappelling rescues, surf rescues, confined space rescues, all hazardous material calls, and the most severe train and car wrecks.
Her first book was the nonfiction memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
Fighting Fire, published in 1998. Her second, the 2006 historical novel
Historical novel
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
East Wind, Rain is based on the Niihau Incident
Niihau Incident
The Niihau Incident occurred on December 7, 1941, when Japanese Zero pilot Shigenori Nishikaichi crash-landed on the Hawaiian island of Niihau after participating in the attack on Pearl Harbor....
, a historical event in which a Japanese pilot crash-landed on the private Hawaiian island of Niihau
Niihau
Niihau or Niihau is the seventh largest of the inhabited Hawaiian Islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii, having an area of . Niihau lies southwest of Kauai across the Kaulakahi Channel. Several intermittent playa lakes provide wetland habitats for the Hawaiian Coot, the Black-winged Stilt, and the...
, after the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
. She is a member of the San Francisco Writers' Grotto, a workspace co-operative that also includes Po Bronson
Po Bronson
Po Bronson is an American journalist and author who lives in San Francisco, California.-Personal history:Bronson was born in Seattle, Washington. After attending Lakeside School in Seattle, he graduated from Stanford University in 1986 and briefly worked as an assistant bond salesman in San...
, Tom Barbash
Tom Barbash
Tom Barbash is an American writer of fiction and nonfiction, educator and critic. He is the author of the novel The Last Good Chance and the bestselling nonfiction work On Top of the World: Cantor Fitzgerald, Howard Lutnick & 9/11: A Story of Loss & Renewal...
, Stephen Elliott
Stephen Elliott (author)
Stephen Elliott is an American author and activist living in San Francisco who has written and published seven books. He is also the founder of the political action committee LitPAC, which holds readings by authors to raise money for progressive candidates.-Background and education:Elliott grew...
, Peter Orner
Peter Orner
Peter Orner is an American writer of fiction. He is the author of the novels Love and Shame and Love and The Second Coming of Mavala Shikongo and the short story collection Esther Stories...
, ZZ Packer
ZZ Packer
ZZ Packer is an African-American author, notable for her works of short fiction.-Life:She grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and Louisville, Kentucky. "ZZ" was a childhood nickname; her given name is Zuwena...
, Jason Roberts
Jason Roberts (author)
Jason Roberts is an American writer of fiction and nonfiction. He is best known for the bestselling A Sense of the World: How a Blind Man Became History's Greatest Traveler , a biography of James Holman, the blind adventurer of the early 19th century...
, Ethan Watters
Ethan Watters
Ethan Watters is an American journalist. He is the author of articles for The New York Times Magazine, Spin, Details, Mother Jones, Glamour, GQ, Esquire, and The San Francisco Chronicle Magazine as well as books.-External links:...
and B. Ruby Rich
B. Ruby Rich
B. Ruby Rich is an American scholar, critic of independent, Latin American, documentary and gay films, and a professor of Film & Digital Media and Social Documentation also known as "SocDoc" at UC Santa Cruz. She has also taught documentary film and queer studies during spring semesters at UC...
.
Her identical twin sister is Baywatch
Baywatch
Baywatch is an American action drama series about the Los Angeles County Lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, starring David Hasselhoff. The show ran in its original title and format from 1989 to 1999, sans the 1990-1991 season, of which it was not in production...
actress Alexandra Paul
Alexandra Paul
Alexandra Elizabeth Paul is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Lt. Stephanie Holden in the television series Baywatch from 1992–97. She has starred in over 60 movies and television programs.-Personal life:...
. Together, the two sisters occupied a single slot on People Magazine's list of "50 Most Beautiful People" for 1997. Her younger brother Jonathan Paul is a militant animal rights activist; he is currently serving a four year sentence in federal prison for the 1997 arson of a slaughterhouse in Redmond, Oregon.
Caroline flies ultralights and paragliders. An accomplished athlete, she has competed on the U.S. National Luge
Luge
A Luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine and feet-first. Steering is done by flexing the sled's runners with the calf of each leg or exerting opposite shoulder pressure to the seat. Racing sleds weigh 21-25 kilograms for singles and 25-30 kilograms for doubles. Luge...
Team in trials for the Olympics.