This interview appears in the Los Angeles Times.
“More than 10 years ago Liz Clark left Southern California aboard a 40-foot sailboat. She had recently graduated from UCSB with a degree in environmental studies and was headed south to Panama and then across the Pacific Ocean to Tahiti. She sailed with friends and family at times but was mostly alone — eventually joined by a cat. Once she arrived in the South Pacific she spent several years sailing and surfing among the islands. She met fellow travelers and local families and became increasingly aware of the fragility of the marine environment. Her sailing log became the foundation for a memoir, “Swell: A Sailing Surfer’s Voyage of Awakening,” published this year by Patagonia. She also produced a short documentary, “Steer With Your Heart: A Film from the Voyage of Swell.” Clark agreed to discuss her voyage and how she put together a written and visual memoir.
Q: “Steer With Your Heart: A Film from the Voyage of Swell” flows through topics in a stream-of-consciousness fashion. Did you have this film in mind when you set out? Read more.