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Broke and miserable, recent college graduate Mike Nolan signed on as a shipyard laborer and discovered that the most worthwhile education often happens outside of a classroom. After he lied about his qualifications, kind-hearted coworkers took him under their wing, and he became "Brother Nols," the only white sandblaster on the crew. Taking pride in his blue-collar life and developing immense respect for his fellow ship scalers, Mike's entertaining accounts shine a light on the gritty, dangerous—yet still often humorous—world of heavy construction. Along the way, he offers insightful reflections on his growing self-awareness and empathy, ties between work and identity, and finally, his evolving perceptions surrounding race and privilege. A native Washingtonian, Mike has worked as a dishwasher, a short order cook, a sandblaster, a school counselor, and a professional clam digger. After a thirty-year career as a guidance counselor in the public schools, he graduated and is now working as a writer. Mike lives in the small town of Port Angeles, along the shores of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, where the mountains meet the sea. His memoir, Hardhat Days, focuses on his work as a sandblaster in the Seattle shipyards during the late seventies. It's a coming-of-age story of reinvention and resilience, published by Washington State University Press. Mike has a web presence at mikenolanstoryteller.com. His work has been published in Flash Fiction Magazine, The Seattle Times, Seattle Met Magazine, AAA Journey Magazine, Travel + Leisure, and The Spokesman-Review.
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122 W Washington St, Sequim, WA, United States, Washington 98382
