John Fairhall is the editor-in-chief of Kaiser Health News. Before moderating a Zócalo/UCLA panel discussion on end-of-life care—“Does Medicine Know How to Approach Death?”—he talked in the Zócalo green room about cycling, deadlines, and Baltimore’s famous painted windowpanes.
You’re into cycling. What’s the most challenging bike ride you’ve ever been on?
The most challenging ride I ever did was back in Pennsylvania, through the Buchanan State Forest. It was 100-odd miles, with around 7,500 feet of climbing. It has been several years since I did that.
You were an editor in Baltimore before you moved to Kaiser Health News. What’s one of your favorite places in Baltimore?
I rediscovered the National Aquarium recently. I thought it was reserved for tourists, but it turned out to be a marvelous place. And I love the neighborhood of Hampden.
Your Twitter bio says you’re a fan of painted screens. Um, what are painted screens?
My wife wrote the definitive book on painted screens. It’s a folk art in Baltimore. A hundred years ago, to break up the monotony of row-house streets, someone came up with this idea to paint the houses’ windowpanes with these bucolic scenes. The art doesn’t cover up the holes, so people inside can see out, but people outside can’t see in.
Do you make any sort of art yourself?
No, none at all. You wouldn’t trust me with a paintbrush.
Scientists have long been interested in cloning woolly mammoths. What do you think: cool idea or ethically dubious?
I wouldn’t worry about the ethics for one second. I would love to see a living woolly mammoth.
Has reporting on hospice and palliative care changed what you’d want at the end of your own life?
Yes—reporting and personal experience both. I’ve become a big fan of the well-run hospice. Palliative care just seems like an incredibly overdue idea.
What advice do you have for the aspiring journalist?
Have a fallback plan. Enjoy the adventure, and try to stick with it as long as you’re interested.
What for you is the hardest part of writing?
The hardest thing about writing professionally is producing something that you’re proud of in a short period of time.
What did you like to read when you were a kid?
Children’s adventure books and mysteries.
What’s the worst snowstorm you’ve ever been in?
Baltimore has had some doozies, even though it’s not known as a snow place. One storm a while ago gave us 16 inches.