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Life After Lightning Strikes

Writer and former filmmaker Gretel Ehrilch is the author of "The Solace of Open Spaces," a collection of essays about life on Wyoming's high plains. It was while walking on the Wyoming plains that Ehrilch was struck by lightning. The force of it threw her forty feet, severely damaged part of her nervous system, and sent her into a "solitary limbo." Ehrlich returned to her parents' home for medical treatment and began trying to understand what happened to her. She found explanations in medical books and in The Tibetan Book of the Dead, which described a wandering state between life and death, confusion and enlightenment. Ehrlich's new book is "A Match to the Heart."

15:37
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Other segments from the episode on September 2, 1994

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, September 2, 1994: Interview with Freedy Johnston; Interview with Gretel Ehrlich; Review of the CD box set "The Fletcher Henderson Story: A Study in Frustration."
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Singer and Songwriter Freedy Johnston

Johnston has four albums to his credit. The latest is, "Unlucky." His previous album, "Can You Fly," brought him to attention of many critics and garnered him much acclaim. Despite his love of hard rock, Johnston's songs have been described as "post-punk honky-tonk. . . performed by a lonely, heartbroken wiseass."

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Life After Being Struck By Lightning.

Writer and former film maker Gretel Ehrlich is the author of "The Solace of Open Spaces," a collection of essays about life on Wyoming's high plains. It was while walking on the Wyoming plains, that Ehlrich was struck by lightning. The force of it threw her forty feet, severely damaged part of her nervous system, and sent her into a "solitary limbo." Ehrlich returned to her parents home for medical treatment and began trying to understand what happened to her.

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