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Paul Gorman is a writer and filmmaker. His plays have appeared on stage in Seattle and his films at film festivals in North America and Europe. His award winning documentary film, "Ride the Sky", spent two years streaming on ROKU's DocsNow Plus. In addition to pursuing his creative side, he spent 35 years working in the tech industry as an electro-mechanical designer and manager. Paul is a graduate of Lake Washington Institute of Technology and the University of Washington Extension School's Advanced Filmmaking Program. He is a life-long resident of the Seattle area where he lives with his wife and dog. He enjoys traveling, hiking, cycling, cooking, brewing beer, and hanging out with his three grandchildren.
Reviewed by Astrid Iustulin for Readers' Favorite
Joan Carson, a seasoned skydiver with more than 700 jumps, tragically died on Memorial Day Weekend in 1981 in Lost Prairie, Montana. Her friend Paul Gorman had previously dreamed of her tragic death, and after Joan's fatal accident, the memory of that dream haunted him. This is why he decided to make a documentary film about the young skydiver - but where to start? In the book Running Down a Dream, Gorman tells us how he gleaned the information he needed about Joan, how he met siblings and other people related to her, and discovered facts about Joan. Eventually, Gorman made his documentary film about the unfortunate skydiver, but in addition to the awards, it also brought an unexpected consequence.
At first, I believed that Running Down a Dream was a commemorative book on Joan Carson and that its goal was to recount her life. Instead, in addition to being a tribute to Joan, it is also a fascinating journey in search of information about Joan and the reconstruction of her life. Above all, it describes the genesis of the documentary film. Paul Gorman describes the facts of Joan's life and the making of the documentary with sincerity and devotion; these are the elements that strike one the most in his book. Running Down a Dream is a great story that deserves to be read. I hope to also see the documentary about Joan to conclude my adventure in the world of skydiving in the most appropriate way.
