the eels made it over some dams and so can we, beloved

I think the last time I started drafting this newsletter I didn’t actually send it. I don’t know why, probably exhausted from the panini or I didn’t have good eel information. Or maybe because I haven’t really really sat down at my computer in forever? There are so many roadblocks and difficulties in trying to write and making time to be creative or even time to just be, and I’m feeling that more than ever this past year or two years. So it’s been a minute. And I’m fine with that.

Eel News You Didn’t Know You Needed

This newsletter always starts off with a little bit of eel research and eel news, and I stumbled upon this article about eel population restoration on the Susquehanna River. I’ve mostly lived in western states in the US, so eel population struggles are new to me, but the first political slogan I really remember was, “Can Helen Not Salmon!” A slogan chanted over the radio waves trying to unseat Idaho congressional politician, Helen Chenoweth, who would hold Endangered Salmon Bakes because she didn’t believe that Idaho salmon should be listed as an endangered species in the 1990s. This is when Snake River sockeye salmon populations were near extinct, like only eight (8!) Snake River sockeye salmon returned to Redfish Lake, and Helen was like, but we’ve got canned Salmon so who cares?! Maybe this 90s political slogan is aging me, but you know what else is aging?? THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER. 

I’m kidding. I mean not really. If you live near the Susquehanna River, I apologize for throwing the river under the bus and over the dams in this newsletter. I’m sure it’s fine. We love a restoration project here at The Eel Report. I have heard about salmon populations and river health my whole life. But I thought this eel article was really interesting because there had not been a huge effort to save the eels or increase the eel population. I am assuming because people don’t like eels, or because eels have a bad reputation, or maybe because people don’t eat them in the US nearly as much as they used to. The article mentions extensive efforts and money invested to save the American Shad— btw Shad is like the equivalent of a fish named Kevin and I can’t handle it— but fascinating that with minimal resources biologists began a project a decade ago to catch little elver (baby) eels stuck at dams on the Susquehanna and truck them upstream. This has boosted eel populations and in turn helped boost the entire health of the river, and hopefully will boost future eel populations and the ecosystem as well.

Boost is the word of the month this December. Is the river boosted? I don’t know, but I am! Get boosted!

I love to think that somewhere there could be an entire truck of little eels catching a ride upstream. Nature is wild. Or humans trying to save nature while simultaneously destroying nature is wild. 

Let us take a moment and remember this overturned truck of slime eels from 2017.

Before we continue, here is my disclaimer that my eel report is mostly me just reading random news and books about eels but that I am just a person on a couch reading stuff on the internet and I am in no way an expert on eels. Just a fan with an internet connection and a newsletter, which if we’re all paying attention to everything happening right now, this is an extremely dangerous place to be— like should I even share my half-researched eel information? Maybe I haven’t sent another newsletter because I’m having an existential crisis about authorial ethics and expertise?? 

Basically, please read about eels from more qualified people than me. But also, it really is fun to shout, CAN HELEN NOT SALMON!! which is something I totally did in second grade. 

Here’s a clip of Nicole Kidman and Jimmy Fallon not really touching a Fire Eel but almost touching a Fire Eel. The Fire Eel did not ask to be touched by these celebrities!

Crocodile Hungry Picture Book Debut So Close

It is TWO MONTHS until Crocodile Hungry publishes on February 15, 2022. Exclamation Mark! I’m excited and nervous and feel like I should be doing something. I am mostly refreshing my email. I am not sure how that helps with anything, but refreshing your email plays a much larger role in writing than I ever imagined. 

Maybe I need to reread Waiting is Not Easy! by Mo Willems or Waiting for Godot or Kevin Henkes’ Waiting.

You can preorder Crocodile Hungry at BookPeople of Moscow and I will totally sign it and the lovely people at BookPeople will ship that book to your door. It’s magic.

Writing Life

For me, right now during this moment in history, the only writing I have been able to do has been extremely planned. 

I’ve written beat sheets and character sketches. I’ve outlined and completed the dreaded but necessary synopsis. It works. I know it’s supposed to work, but it really does work. I’m kind of mad at how good pre-writing and planning works! There are still things I need to figure out, but I had the framework and the tools. So when I did have time to write, I wrote. I feel like I finally discovered outlining, which omg took me long enough.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel like I have as much time to write, or maybe I feel like I don’t have as much time for anything. So being prepared, doing this prep work has given me some much needed tools to move forward.

I feel like my brain is having to relearn how to be creative, and for longer projects that means I have to outline, I have to give myself the tools to be able to do this writing thing.

I’m still figuring out what this means with picture books. Usually, picture book drafting starts off as playtime and develops from there. But how do you play while the world falls apart? Or how do you play while you try and hold things together? I’m still figuring this out, but I think the obvious answer is that I need to play. We all probably do.

So I guess in 2022, I hope I plan the hell out of my writing while also giving myself the freedom to play. To look for joy when I see the world, and to give myself all the time and patience I need to find my way back to this creative work. 

Thanks for reading this mess of a newsletter and for supporting me. Stay tuned for more regular newsletters as I share book launch details and the countdown to publication day really truly begins!  

Also, let’s celebrate one more time that the American eel population in the Susquehanna River reached a record high this year. Go eels, baybee!

Recommended Reading

And on to my favorite part, aside from the eels, the book recommendations! And it’s a lot, but it’s the end of the year so I feel less bad about celebrating books I have read and loved since the last newsletter.

You can find all these titles and maybe a few more over here. Thanks for reading this newsletter. You can always subscribe or share. I’ll see you next time for Crocodile Hungry updates, events, and reveals. Cheers!