[nagdu] Castro Valley author explores harrowing 9/11 escape

[Ginger Kutsch]

Castro Valley author explores harrowing 9/11 escape
By Chris Metinko
Oakland Tribune
Posted: 09/10/2010 12:00:00 AM PDT
 

Author Susy Flory and the subject of her latest book, 9/11 Twin
Towers survivor Michael Hingson. 
 
Susy Flory had no intention of doing a book about survivors of
the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Actually, the Castro Valley
author was trying to do research for her new book on
inspirational tales about people and their dogs.
 
Little did she know the two subjects would come together.
 
Enter Bay Area 9/11 survivor Michael Hingson, of Novato, blind
from birth, and his yellow Labrador retriever, Roselle. 
 
"I had a contract with a publisher to write a book about true dog
stories, and then I came across Michael's story," Flory said. "I
couldn't believe it. After reading about it, I just had chills."
 
That's why Flory, 45, is in the final steps of making Hingson's
amazing story into a book, due out next August -- just in time to
mark the 10th anniversary of the attacks.
 
The book, titled "Thunder Dog: A Blind Man, A Guide Dog, and the
Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero," details Hingson's escape from
the 78th floor of the 110-story Tower One of New York City's
World Trade Center, as well as his other triumphs over challenges
presented to him because of his blindness.
 
"This is not just about 9/11. This is a memoir about what's it's
like to be blind. This is much bigger in scope than just the one
event," Flory said.
 
The book includes stories about Hingson riding his bike through
the streets of Palmdale, Los Angeles County, as a child and
working in bustling Manhattan to show Hingson would not let
blindness stand in his way.
 
The  book, however, does center on the events of that Tuesday
morning nine years ago. Hingson was working as a regional sales
manager of a data backup company located in Tower One. 
 
Roselle, his then 3-year-old guide dog, was sleeping under his
desk when Hingson heard an explosion.
 
The book details Hingson's and Roselle's harrowing descent down
78 floors and away from burning tower. The book even describes a
scene in which Roselle led Hingson and a woman they met outside
to the nearest subway stop because she could not see through the
smoke and dust. 
 
The feat of getting out of the tower alive is all the more
amazing considering the death toll of 2,606 that fateful morning
when hijackers took control of two commercial airliners and
crashed them into the two towers. At 8:46 a.m., American Airlines
Flight 11 crashed into the 89th floor of Tower One, followed by
United Airlines 175, which hit the Tower Two at 9:03 a.m. After
burning for 56 minutes, Tower Two collapsed, followed a half-hour
later by Tower One.
 
The book also talks about what Hingson says he has learned about
trust, courage, teamwork and heroism, both as a blind man, and as
a 9/11 survivor.
 
"Not all the stories that came out of 9/11 obviously were good,"
Flory said. "This one was a good one, though. This is a good
story."
 
Flory added that writing the book opened her eyes to many daily
issues that the blind deal with, living in a society set up for
people with vision -- including things most take for granted,
such as getting to work or using a mobile device.
 
"It definitely raised my awareness," Flory said. "You hear
Michael talk and you learn about the challenges."
 
"Thunder Dog" will be the fourth book written by Flory, who grew
up riding quarter horses in Castro Valley. She also worked in
journalism, education and communications and has degrees from
UCLA in English and psychology.
 
After writing for several magazines, she threw herself into
writing in 2006.
 
"I like to immerse myself into something," Flory said. "Writing
books really allows you to do that. It allows you to fall in love
with what you're writing."
 
Flory said "Thunder Dog" took her about three months to write --
and now will go through a publisher's review and rewrites --
although each book has taken a different amount of time and
research.
 
"It all depends on the subject," Flory said. "No two books are
the same."
 
As for that book on inspirational dog tales? Don't worry, "Dog
Tales: Inspirational Stories of Humor, Adventure, and Devotion"
is set to come out in June.
 
 
 

Source:
http://www.insidebayarea.com/top-stories/ci_16035230