Welcome to the 8th edition of the Thursday Bouquet. Your weekly collection of curated content, chosen thoughtfully and offered lovingly.
If you are new here, Welcome!
Today I’m offering up a little peek into my Alaskan life, The most bingeable podcast I’ve listened to in a while and a musician who might just rock your world.
Lets get into it.
Read - A way of life
I keep a picture of my dad on my nightstand. He’s in the bow of a setnet skiff, dressed head to toe in Carhartts. He looks happy, standing against a backdrop of clear, blue sky and ocean water
I love this picture. It’s the version of my dad that holds the biggest piece of my heart.
I grew up roasting hot dogs, hunting for agates and playing with my cousins on the beach where the picture was taken. The same beach where my dad grew up fishing for salmon with his family.
For the East Side of the Upper Cook Inlet, the area where my family has fished for generations, this way of life has been slowly disappearing. Less and less families participate in the fishery and closures severely limit opportunities for families who still do. It was recently announced that the fishery won’t open at all this year.
Due to political, economical and environmental issues, salmon harvesting — commercial, subsistence and “sport” (which is a highly commercialized industry) — has become a contentious issue within the state of Alaska.
For me, Salmon is a way of life. It has always been a staple in my diet and the economic resource that put more food on the table. Salmon, and the waters they run through, are at the center of my history and my heritage.
I thought it might be nice to share some writing about the unique way of life setnetting supports. Here are a few pieces that offer a glimpse into the culture and the people within it.
The Lives of a Husband and Wife at a Salmon Setnet Operation - This is a beautiful article, written by a husband and wife, about the commercial fishing life. Their writing styles are wildly different and the contrast of their alternating voices makes this piece so special. The husband, Eric, writes poetically about what it feels like to work on a setnet site. Crystal, the wife, tells her story in a more matter of fact way. Both perspectives are well written.
Salmon Harvesting With My Son Connects Us With The Land & Our Ancestors - This is a piece I wrote for “Romper” about the role Salmon has played in my life. It’s not specifically about setnetting, but I do talk about my childhood on the setnet sites with my family.
Unprecedented closures threaten setnet way of life - If you’re interested in what’s going on with the setnet closures I mentioned, here is an article published by the local newspaper.
Bonus
Here are a couple of videos too!
Salmon Life : The Setnet - This is a sweet little video about life on a family run setnet site
Cook Inlet Commercial Fishing Opener - This video made me a little emotional. It’s an arial view of a small set net operation. It makes me yearn for days gone by and the simplicity of beach life.
Listen - A Dynasty To Die For
Dan Jones is my favorite historian. If “having a favorite historian” sounds a little weird to you, you’re probably in the majority. For a history buff such as myself, it makes total sense.
Like professionals in most fields, historians come in many flavors. Some are dry and by the book. Some specialize in obscure history, hardly anyone knows about. Some teach a broad swath of time periods to uninterested teenagers. Others, like Dan Jones, bring history to the masses with infectious zeal and a knack for making every story feel like an adventure.
I discovered Dan when he appeared on the podcast “Noble Blood” (a favorite we will most definitely be discussing someday). After listening to his episode, I immediately downloaded and listened to “The Wars of the Roses”, a book he wrote and narrated.
Dan is known for writing nonfiction books that read like novels. “The Wars of the Roses” was no exception. Dan is a gifted story teller and I stayed fully engaged with the intricately detailed saga until the bitter end. His passion for the topic brought everything to life.
Dan also has a podcast called “This is History”. Season One takes us back to the beginning of the Plantagenet dynasty, starting with the flight of Eleanor of Aquitaine out of France and into the arms of Henry Plantagenet.
“This is History” is SO GOOD.
I didn’t think the same old story could still be exciting. I thought wrong. Dan tells the story with such curiosity, detail and flair that it feels new again. I am absolutely loving it!
The episodes are short, all under twenty minutes. It’s refreshing. Most of my favorite podcasts are at least an hour, if not two, per episode. I like that I have the option to consume it in little bursts or bigger binges. So far, I’ve been devouring the episodes four or five at a time.
There are bonus episodes for subscribers that dive deeper into little side stories and compelling characters from the main episodes. They are so fun and Dan is offering a free trial subscription for an entire month! You can’t go wrong with that.
If you like history at all, even just a little, I bet you will like Dan Jone’s podcast.
Bonus : He has a Substack Newsletter - History, Etc.
Watch - Ren: A True Original
I was torn between making this recommendation a Watch or a Listen. I’m sharing music you can download on Spotify and listen to in the car, or in your AirPods.
Ultimately, I decided to make Ren this week’s Watch. My first encounter with him was visual and I think it’s the most effective way to experience his art. At least initially.
My brother introduced me to Ren by texting me a link to the video “Hi Ren” with the simple comment, “Have you seen this?”. My brother is a busy guy and not big on screen time, so I was intrigued. If he was sending it, it must be good.
The video opens with some mildly disturbing imagery. Ren — sitting in a wheelchair, holding his guitar and wearing a hospital gown — is pushed into a squalid looking room by a man wearing a bloody apron, elbow length rubber gloves and a pig mask. Ren’s head is down and he looks somewhat defeated.
As Ren begins to play his guitar the whole scenario shifts. His unique and lively strumming breathes life into the image, somehow lifting the despair with an injection of joy. In the following moments, he starts to sing in an energetic falsetto and it becomes obvious that something special is happening.
Eventually, Ren begins the aggressively passionate rant that makes up the rest of the song, delivering a powerful message I felt in my bones.
“Hi Ren” could be described as a classic tale of good vs evil — I can’t help but envision a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other every time I listen to it. Part of me feels like that’s an oversimplification though.
I think the experience you have with Ren’s subconscious battle depends on the hardships you’ve experienced in life.
I cannot speak for my brother, but I thought about our dad through the whole song. Dad struggled deeply with alcoholism for most of his life. I know he battled mightily with his demons and it wasn’t lost on me that he, like Ren, possessed an innate talent for music. Especially when it came to the guitar.
On a more personal level, I hear the voice of anxiety, depression and addiction. I’ve had my own issues with alcohol and my anxiety sounds a lot like the voice Ren brings to life in this song.
Ren’s eloquent approach to mental ilnesss is as beautiful as it is powerful. With words that create a level of depth and meaning typically absent from most radio playlists, “Hi Ren” is an excellent reminder of how many incredible musicians are out there working independently of the mainstream machine that drives popular culture.
Give it a watch. Then give it another. Let it sink in and see what it brings to the surface. It might be a little uncomfortable, but it will be worth it. You’ll get a glimpse of the narrative that lurks beneath the surface of your own consciousness.
Happy Reading, Watching and Listening!
That’s all for today. See you Sunday!