Writer immerses himself in disappearing island's gritty way of life

Life as a waterman on Tangier Island isn’t easy, and amid the exhaustion of the job comes a bittersweetness.

The little island on the Chesapeake Bay has been losing ground, little by little at first, but in leaps and bounds in the past few decades.

Earl Swift first visited the isle as a reporter in 1999 and knew he had to return so he could preserve it, in some small way.

He moved there in May 2016, immersed himself in the tough, self-reliant community, and wrote a book about the experience titled Chesapeake Requiem.

Swift recently did an email interview with NPR about his work, which you can read here.