MJV profiles San Diego lifeguard for The New York Times 27 July 2008 HEALDSBURG, Calif. - Matt Villano has returned to the pages of The New York Times magazine with a profile of a San Diego lifeguard named Jim Birdsell. The story, titled, "Called to Help: 28 Years as a Lifeguard," is the "Preoccupations" column in today's Sunday Business section. The piece, which is written in Birdsell's voice, informs readers about life as a lifeguard. Few people know the profession better than Birdsell -- he has been a lifeguard in some capacity for the better part of 28 years. Over the course of the story, Villano chronicles Birdsell's day-to-day responsibilities, his experiences savings lives and the challenge of seeing people die. He also writes about Birdsell's 19-day experience rescuing victims of Hurricane Katrina. Villano researched the story over the better part of three months, meeting with Birdsell and having a bunch of telephone conversations with him. To read the story, click here. Villano is a regular contributor to various sections of The New York Times, including Sunday Business, Travel, Style, Small Business, Retirement, Giving, Taxes, Business Travel and more. To read his articles for the publication, click here.