Dearest gentle angler,

I wrote that ^ after watching the latest season of Bridgerton (which I don’t really follow but Lauren does, so I’ve seen it in the same way that all those TikTok dads say they don’t want to watch something but end up lurking in the back of the room the whole time and asking questions about what’s going on). That’s one of many things that’s happened since we last spoke.

In these past months, I’ve finally finished…

Nothing. Not a goddamn thing.

I haven’t picked up my first novel draft for edits because there has been other writing work to do. I started planning a second novel, which took priority because it allowed me to understand necessary background info for the same world my first novel will inhabit. I also started a fun-to-write novel about a cat and pigeon who become friends.

I planned to make some changes to this blog, including a fresh new website, but didn’t get around to finishing that. It’ll still happen, and we’ll talk more about it in the future. For now, let’s see, what have I been up to?

I’ve watched a lot of movies. My Letterboxd account says I’ve watched almost 100 movies. Part of that is my new Museum of the Moving Image membership. It’s easily the best-value museum membership I have right now (though I did become a member of the Transit Museum so I could take a tour of the now-defunct City Hall station, and that was a blast). MoMI is a heckin good museum and whoever curates their movies is excelling at their job. I also bought a TV antenna so I could return to watching Svengoolie, and I’ve enjoyed the classic horror movies it has added to my diet (this Saturday’s flick will be Doctor Cylops).

Six movies I saw and would recommend:

1. City Slickers (1991)

2. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010)

3. Mārama (2026)

4. Mary and Max (2009)

5. In a Lonely Place (1950)

6. Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (2001)

I’ve read about 20 books so far this year. A handful were deep cuts from the Tolkien universe, but I’m also plugging away at my 2026 reading challenge. A few short books that may interest you:

1. The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera

2. Spoiled Milk by Avery Curran (debut novel)

3. Sturly by Pierre Custot (it’s about a fish!)

As you read this post, I’ll be on my way to Greenpoint to pick up a signed copy of another debut novel, a comedy fantasy called Startup Hell. I don’t know what it’s about, but I’m leaning into the idea of becoming part of a writing community. I’m seeking out debut novels to support new writers, trying to befriend authors when I attend their talks, and paying particular attention to books that seem to fit into the specific “genre” I’ve come to realize my writing inhabits. We’ll cover that in upcoming weeks, too.

Elsewhere, I’ve played a lot of soccer. I am currently on five teams and play four days most weeks. It’s too much. But it’s also been fun to put in the work required to stay in good enough shape for all that soccer.

And that’s just about it. Sure, I’ve also spent these months doing the normal life junk we all have to do, namely working enough to make the money that goes right to my bills. I’ve also gone to the dentist, repotted some plants, and continuously reorganized my shelves as I seek that magic configuration where all my books fit (I’m getting close, I can feel it).

I plan to get back to writing regular blogs, so you’ll hear from me again soon. Also, I’m back to sending on Tuesday mornings because it’s simply a better day than Wednesday.

Title song

The title of this blog is another example of something I marked as worthy of a blog mention month ago.

Way back on March 7, Country Joe McDonald died. For those unfamiliar, Country Joe and the Fish was a rock band from the 1960s (and briefly in the 1970s and 2000s). They existed at the intersection of psychedelic rock (playing alongside another blog stalwart, the Grateful Dead, in the San Francisco rock scene), folk rock, and Vietnam protest (which seemed to be a genre in and of itself, and is perhaps a genre that could use a resurgence today given the state of [waving arms] everything).

The head of the band was Country Joe McDonald, the guitarist was nicknamed “the fish,” the drummer was nicknamed “the chicken,” and the other band members had boring human names, though some of them also briefly played in another band called Dinosaurs, which was mediocre but fun to me because they eschewed the “the” from their name (much like that other band whose name is technically just Eagles).

Anyway, Country Joe and the Fish have a fantastic, cheeky, protest song called the “I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag.” That song was usually preceded by “The ‘Fish’ Cheer,” which consisted of the band spelling out F-I-S-H along with the crowd.

In later versions, the F-I-S-H was replaced with another four-letter f-word that I won’t print here to protect your delicate sensibilities.¹

The most famous rendition of this song and cheer was performed at Woodstock in 1969. That’s what you’ll find in the video below, including the cheer with the naughty f-word.²

Until next time,

Happy fishing!