Author to discuss ‘Orcas and Men’

Published 11:06 am Sunday, July 5, 2015

The orca, often called the killer whale, is one of the planet’s most intelligent animals.

Remarkably sophisticated, orcas have languages and cultures and even long-term memories.

And their capacity for echolocation is nothing short of a sixth sense.

Orcas are also benign and gentle, which makes the story of the captive-orca industry and the endangerment of their population in Puget Sound that much more damning.

In his latest book, “Of Orcas and Men: What Killer Whales Can Tell Us,” Seattle-based investigative journalist David Neiwert explores this extraordinary species and its occasionally fraught relationship with human beings. Beginning with their role in myth and contemporary popular culture, Neiwert shows how “killer whales” came to capture our imaginations and brings to life the often catastrophic environmental consequences of that appeal.

Neiwert will visit Eagle Harbor Book Company in downtown Winslow to discuss his new book at 3 p.m. Sunday, July 12.

He is the author of many books, including “And Hell Followed With Her: Crossing the Dark Side of the American Border” and “Strawberry Days: How Internment Destroyed a Japanese American Community.”

His reporting for MSNBC.com on domestic terrorism won the National Press Club Award for Distinguished Online Journalism in 2000, and he is also a contributing writer for the Southern Poverty Law Center. Visit www.eagleharborbooks.com to learn about more author events.