The Worst Day: Bruce Goldfarb in converstation with William P. Tandy

Name: The Worst Day: Bruce Goldfarb in converstation with William P. Tandy
Start: 2026-03-25T18:00:00-04:00
End: 2026-03-25T19:30:00-04:00
Location: Atomic Books

Schedule

Wed Mar 25 2026 at 06:00 pm to 07:30 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

Atomic Books | Baltimore, MD

To celebrate the release of his new book, The Worst Day: A Plane Crash, A Train Wreck, and Remarkable Acts of Heroism in Washington, DC, author Bruce Goldfarb will be discussing the book with William P. Tandy.
You can reserve a copy of the book in advance here:
https://atomicbooks.com/products/the-worst-day
A REAL-LIFE DISASTER MOVIE: A minute-by-minute account of 2 simultaneous catastrophes during a 1982 blizzard—and the extraordinary courage of civilians and first responders.
Washington, DC, was in the grips of a historic snowstorm on January 13, 1982 that gridlocked the city when Air Florida 90 crashes into a bridge jammed with traffic and plunges into the iced-over Potomac River.
6 people survive the crash, clinging to wreckage in the icy river as a Park Police helicopter risks a daring rescue in nearly whiteout conditions. As the rescue is taking place, DC’s Metro system suffers its first fatal derailment nearby, with dozens injured.
In this page-turning drama, journalist and former firefighter/EMT Bruce Goldfarb recreates the harrowing struggles for survival and acts of incredible courage.
"This story reminds readers of how the worst tragedies, those that claim and change untold numbers of lives, can also bring out the best of humanity."
—Library Journal, Starred Review
"Goldfarb sensitively balances the events’ inherent sensationalism with a compassionate narration of the aftermath for survivors and the day’s impact on safety regulations, including mandatory life vests in airplanes. It’s a thorough record of an overlooked yet consequential disaster."
—Publishers Weekly
"The Worst Day is nonfiction as real-life horror, and it’s a tribute to the resiliency of the human spirit that anyone truly survived."
—The Washington City Paper
A former firefighter/EMT, BRUCE GOLDFARB is an award-winning journalist who lives in Baltimore, MD. Goldfarb's work has appeared in the Baltimore Sun, Washington Post, USA Today, Baltimore magazine, American Archaeology, American Health and many other publications. For 10 years, Goldfarb served as executive assistant to the Chief Medical Examiner for the State of Maryland. He was public information officer for the OCME and curator of the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death. His books include 18 Tiny Deaths and OCME: Life in America's Top Forensic Medical Center.
WILLIAM PATRICK TANDY grew up in various locations along the New Jersey Shore, including Manahawkin, Long Beach Island, Ocean City, and Cape May. He has published the award-winning Smile, Hon, You’re in Baltimore! series as well as the storytelling zine Fire Pit and the Jersey Shore-focuse zine Beach Badge under his own imprint, Eight-Stone Press.