No Laughing Matter

         There are few occupations more associated with the genre of horror than the clown. Ever since the release of Stephen King's It, the killer clown has been at the forefront of just about every medium that can support horror: books, movies, video games, even the real world. 

        It wasn't like clowning was all fun & games before 1986, though (The Joker introduced people to the scary clown archetype in the 1940s). Besides making people laugh, clowns, jesters, fools, harlequins, etc, throughout time have also brought acute awareness to society's ills, and they usually do both of these things in the same breath. When you consider the juxtaposition of these two seemingly disconnected elements, and the discomfort that might illicit, it's easy to see why clowns have been so readily adopted by horror creators. 

        Horror, as a genre, is similar to clowning. You take something familiar and distort it in some way to alter its effect. But while clowns take something upsetting and make it funny, a horror author might take something funny and make it terrifying, like in It. Or, a horror author may take something that's already devastating and introduce new elements to create something far, far darker. If you'd like to plumb the depths of that darkness, then stick around because there's some great books I've been dying to talk about, and deep within their pages you may just find something scarier than clowns.

        Gabino Iglesias' barrio-noir The Devil Takes You Home takes one of the most devastating things that can happen to a parent, the loss of their young child, and uses that as the starting line. But that's hardly as bleak as this book gets. Following the loss of his daughter, and now wracked with medical debt, the book's main character, Mario, becomes a hired gun. His jobs start out small, just whacking a few guys that Brian, his handler/heroin addict, has assured him are bad dudes, but soon enough the pair have gotten themselves wrapped up in a scheme to rob a cartel caravan. 

        So far this may sound like more of a hard-boiled action story than something horrific, but I'd like to remind you that Mario is a man that is haunted. Haunted by the loss of his daughter, by the poverty he's had to live in, by the systematic racism and marginalization he's faced for most of his life. While this more figurative haunting does a great job at creating a bleak atmosphere, the introduction of genuinely paranormal elements are what make this book truly terrifying. And the way that Iglesias contextualizes them is especially interesting.

         Taking place between Texas and Mexico, this book is rich with Mexican & Mexican-American culture. One example of this is that many of the supernatural elements manifest themselves through Christian iconography. There are witches possessed by the devil and ghosts that look like little angels. The sequence I found to be most horrifying mixes this Christian supernaturality with the human cruelty that also runs through the book, and the product is El Milagrito. I won't give you any details, so as not to tarnish the experience, but I still get goosebumps when I think about those pages.

        The Devil Takes You Home is a perfect example of the way how horror can successfully use distortion to great effect. It sets a scene of the world, with all its ugliness, and injects elements of the other to strap the reader into a roller coaster ride of fear, violence, and paranoia. 

        Brainwyrms, by Alison Rumfitt, is another book that kicks off with a horrible bang. Frankie is the survivor of a bombing on her workplace carried out by TERFs (or Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist). Frankie's life is destroyed, and in its wake she begins to drink more, see her friends less, and sleep with an increasing number of strangers. When Frankie meets Vanya the two hit it off immediately, almost to the point of obsession, but Frankie gets the impression that there's something sinister lurking behind Vanya's surface.

        Where The Devil Takes You Home takes some of the worst parts of the world and frames them alongside something supernatural, Brainwyrms posits that the two might be linked. More specifically, it is a novel that examines transphobia and its effects, specifically on members of the trans community like Frankie and Vanya. At the root of all the hatred are the titular brainwyrms, which are infecting people throughout Britain with transphobia and driving them to commit hate crimes like the one at the beginning of the novel.

        Horror has traditionally been a genre where more "taboo" topics can find a home, and Brainwyrms certainly does not shy away from those. Where it really leans in is the realm of sex, and more specifically into kinks. But what kink would fit into a story about brain-eating parasites turning people into bigots? Why, infestation of course. It's not just introduced as a cheap gross-out, though, but rather works as great characterization for the interested party, showing us their innermost desires, not just sexually but more generally. Additionally, the fascination serves as an interesting exploration of how what one person may find horrifying, say a parasitic worm eating someone's tongue and taking its place, can be tantalizing to another.

        If my description hasn't made it clear, Brainwyrms is an intense read. There's even a part in the middle of the second act where the author suggests you take a break before proceeding. But if this sounds like something you may be interested in, even just a little, I'd encourage you to face your fears and take the plunge. And if you're on the fence, not just about Brainwyrms but about The Devil Takes You Home too, then I'd encourage you twice as hard, because if you live your life in the light then you'll never really know what's going on in the dark. 

    You can find both of the books discussed here on the shelves at Eagle Eye Book Shop. And if someone got to them before you, or you'd rather order online, you can find the links to purchase them below.

https://eagleeyebooks.com/book/9780316426718

https://eagleeyebooks.com/book/9781250866257

October 2024 Spooky Season Reads

 Face Your Fear...

 

Are you ready? Find your next spooky season read based on these phobias:

 

Manpa

    It's that time of the year again, Father's Day. The time for us to appreciate those who tell us all about their niche hobbies, cook up some kick-ass soups & stews, can take & make a good joke, and do a lot of other important things for us. One of the things I'm most grateful to my father for is how early and often he's brought good art into my life, whether that be through showing me movies like "Dazed and Confused" when I was much too young or expounding upon me the greatness of Frank Lloyd Wright. And while our tastes don't always align, we can always a have good conversation about a book, movie, building, or anything else. So, in honor of my father, I'll be sharing with you all some of the art I enjoy. And today that art happens to be: Dad Manga.

    Up first from Yotsuba&! is Yousuke Koiwai, the single father of the titular Yostuba and a figure who I find to be generally aspirational. As you may remember from last month's article, Yotsuba is always getting up to some antics. They range from the harmless, like getting herself stuck in a trash can, to the more substantial, like tracking blue paint across the house. When the situation gets serious, and especially when it doesn't, Yousuke always finds a way to keep things fun and isn't afraid to laugh along with Yotsuba.

 Besides having a wonderful temperament, Yousuke is also always looking out for Yotsuba. He even works from home as a translator so he can always be around.  What I really admire about Yousuke is his ability to balance seriousness and silliness, always getting the job done but making sure he had a good time doing it.

     The next father on the list hails from Taiyo Matsumoto's No. 5, a wonderful story about superhuman soldiers, the world they inhabit, and how far people are willing to go for the ones they love. At the center of it all is Papa, the mad scientist who created not just the super-soldiers, but has also spent a good deal of time reviving extinct species and combining them into strange chimeras.

 

 Papa reminds me of Victor Frankenstein, and not just because he raises the dead. He is scornful towards his children, turning away those who dissatisfy him and demanding perfection from the rest.

    While we're on the topic of not so great fathers, I would be remiss if I didn't talk about Ging Freecs. Hailing from Yoshihiro Togashi's Hunter x Hunter, Ging is one of the most notorious fathers in all of manga. Ging left his son, Gon, in the care of relatives shortly after he was born and took off to continue his life of adventure. He isn't completely neglectful of his son, as he leaves behind both clues about his whereabouts and mentors to help train up the young boy, but he never gets directly involved in Gon's adventure. 

    Ging's behavior does not go unpunished, though. Eventually, Gon and friends meet up with Ging. The father and son get some alone time to catch up, but not before Leorio, the crew's father figure, gives Ging an earful and a nice punch in the jaw.

    If all those bad dads left a sour taste in your mouth, hopefully this next one will be a good palate cleanser. Taro Sakamoto, of Yuto Suzuki's Sakamoto Days, is a loving husband, father, small business owner, and deadly assassin. Well, he used to be one of the deadliest assassins in history, but he gave all that up for the family life. 

    As you might suspect, it's not so easy to get out of the killing game and Taro is constantly being targeted. While his skills make defending himself a breeze, his family values have made him more sympathetic towards his assailants, and over the course of the story he recruits more and more people to join his family. So whether you're looking for some wholesome family comedy or some of the best choreographed fights coming out of manga right now, give Sakamoto Days a try.

     Our final father is one of the most notable fathers of all time, Adam.

    "But Lucas," I hear you asking, "isn't Adam from the bible?" 

    Yes, my dear reader, he is. But he also appears in Shinya Umemura and Takumi Fukui's Record of Ragnarok, a fighting manga that asks the question: "What if humans from throughout history and gods from around the world fought to the death in a tournament to decide the fate of humankind?" 

    Adam makes his appearance in the second round, where he fights against none other than Zeus in a bare-knuckle brawl. If this description has you raising an eyebrow, that's very fair. But if you give the series a try, I can assure you that an eyebrow raised in apprehension will turn into a fist pumped in excitement. The Adam v. Zeus bout had me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning, and for any action-lovers out there, like many dads seem to be, I'm sure you'll enjoy it just as much.

    To the dads who might be tired of the action, like Taro Sakomoto, the dads who can't get enough of it, like Ging Freecs, and all the dads in between, happy Father's Day!

 

To check out the manga mentioned above, follow the links below: 

Yotsuba&!

https://eagleeyebooks.com/book/9780316073875 

 

No. 5 

https://eagleeyebooks.com/book/9781974720767

Hunter x Hunter

https://eagleeyebooks.com/book/9781591167532

Sakamoto Days

https://eagleeyebooks.com/book/9781974728947

Record of Ragnarok

https://eagleeyebooks.com/book/9781974727865

lesbians in reno!

Warning: Contains Spoilers for the Objectively Best Queer Cowboy Film

Don’t tell my parents or the FBI, but in high school, I pirated many movies. I torrented my way through the back catalog of queer cinema: To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar and But I’m a Cheerleader! and Pink Flamingos. But my most crucial 123movies.com find was the gay cowboy movie. You know, the super-vibey slow-burn forlorn-American-West-landscape one, the seminal LGBT-rep one, the one with stolen glances and secret touches. No, I don’t mean Brokeback Mountain. I mean Desert Hearts (1985). Since my first fateful watch, it has cemented the top spot in my personal list of Best Films Ever Made.

Like most good cinema, this one opens with divorce. Our protagonist Vivian is a foxy Columbia professor seeking to expedite her separation by establishing residency in Reno, Nevada. Nevada, I learned, lets you get divorced after living there for six weeks. In Georgia, for comparison, the process takes six months. In New York, it’s a whole year. Ms. Vivian wants to ditch her hubby ASAP, and there’s a whole industry catering to that desire; she stays at a Reno ranch dedicated to women establishing residencies specifically for divorce. The proprietor of this legal-loophole watering hole is Frances. Frances is something like a mother to young woman Cay, since Cay has the classic dead dad/deadbeat mom combo. When Cay & Vivian meet, sparks fly.

C & V’s meet-cute is truly epic. Frances drives Vivian through the dreamy, dusty Nevada landscape. Cay comes opposite them in her truck, then, seeing the hot new professor, DRIVES BACKWARDS so their cars maintain speed in the same direction, spitting sweet talk towards Vivian all the while. That scene alone is worth watching the film for.

Really, there’s very many reasons to watch. There’s the fashion. To quote Letterboxd user Sarah: “I genuinely love how they didn’t even try to disguise those 80s hairstyles for a story set in the late-1950s. Gay repression is strong, but 80s perms are even stronger.” Plus, all the double-denim, super-high-wasted shorts, and cowboy hats. The setting has that desert town je ne sais quoi, with dilapidated casinos and slowtime square dancing. There’s also A Scene You Don’t Want to Watch With Your Parents of great historic import: it’s the first time general movie theater audiences saw an intimate scene on-screen between two women. 

 

 

The film overall holds a key place in the queer cannon because it doesn’t end in freaking tragedy. To quote Wikipedia: “It is regarded as the first feature film to ‘de-sensationalize lesbianism’ by presenting a positive portrayal of a lesbian romance.” It’s something of a cliche that most LGBT characters, especially in the past, don’t get happy endings (looking at you, Brokeback Mountain). This is a tradition likely born of centuries of continued persecution and oppression, and can be both an effective and truthful storytelling decision. But, also, if I’m being honest, I want the girlies to win sometimes. In contrast, the ending of Desert Hearts is so so so sweet. I squeal out loud like a suckling pig every time I watch it.

In most cases, the book is better than the movie. I myself cannot vouch for Desert Hearts’ literary predecessor, Jane Rule’s 1964 novel Desert of the Heart, but only because I haven’t read it. It does have a whopping 3.9/5 Goodreads rating and the Irish book club Bibliofemme did nominate it for the top 10 gay novels, if you care about that kind of thing. The book also was as pioneering as the film (from Wikipedia: “It was one of the very few novels addressing lesbianism that was published in hardback form; most books during this period with female homosexuality as a topic were considered lesbian pulp fiction until 1969.”)

If you’re ready for a film to reach in and put a string of lights around your heart this June, Desert Hearts is the one. Its vibe curation is immaculate -- consider that after the painstaking, four-year fundraising process for the film, 20% of the budget went to securing MUSIC RIGHTS for the specific songs the director wanted. She, the director Donna Deitch, was so insistent on having Helen Shaver play Vivian that Deitch refused to hang up a phone call until Shaver agreed to pass up another, more lucrative movie opportunity. Desert Hearts is a labor of love, and it most definitely shows.

Click here to buy Desert of the Heart from us: https://eagleeyebooks.com/book/9781594930355

Momga

    It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to say that without moms there would be no stories. Not only is this statement literally true, and honestly a bit of an understatement because without moms humanity would likely not exist, but also figuratively. The inclusion of a mom in a story gives readers a character they can easily empathize with and relate to, as well as give new context or motivations to the other characters. And to no one’s surprise, moms often end up being some of the most standout characters in the stories they inhabit. They can be omnipresent matriarchs, like One Hundred Years of Solitude’s Ursula, certified plot drivers, like Mia and Elena of Little Fires Everywhere, or genuine eccentrics, like Mrs. Glass from Franny and Zooey.

    I could be here all day going on about all the awesome moms in fiction, so to save us both some time I’ll narrow my scope to some moms you might not be as familiar with: the moms of manga.

    To get us started I’ll be highlighting some moms from Yotsuba&!, one of my favorite series. Despite being a slice-of-life series about Yotsuba Koiwai, a 5-year-old girl who lives with her single father, there’s no shortage of mom action. Most of it is dished out by Mrs. Ayase, Yotsuba’s next-door neighbor and a mother to three daughters: Asagi, Fuuka and Ena. Mrs. Ayase’s first introduction to the series is in chapter 4, and I’ll let her first meeting with Yotsuba do the talking. (Side Note: Manga is read right to left)

 

    For the rest of the series Mrs. Ayase maintains this jovial and generous demeanor. Besides making her a pleasant person, this attitude also provides a fun comedic contrast with Yotsuba’s father’s moments of embarrassment. Mrs. Ayase is also always receptive to Yotsuba’s antics and is endlessly patient with whatever they might entail, though she still makes time for her own daughters.

 

    Besides Mrs. Ayase, Yotsuba&! also features Mrs. Koiwai, Yotsuba’s grandmother. While she’s a bit of a softie towards her granddaughter, Mrs. Koiwai’s country roots have made her tough. She’s quick to set her son straight and has even been known to discipline Yotsuba every once in a while.

    Ultimately, Mrs. Koiwai is a good reminder that, for the most part, age is a mindset. So if there’s something you want to do, you should go out and do it, whether that be travelling across the country for a concert or keeping up with the latest tech trends, like Mrs. Koiwai, or anything else your heart desires.

 

    Since we’re talking about grandmothers, it would be a shame not to mention Ping Pong’s “Granny.” While her full name, and technically her grandmother status, are unknown, I can say with 100% certainty that she is a mother. Even if she was not, though, the attention and energy she affords the students at her ping pong parlor gives big parental energy.

             

 

    A former ping pong star and current coach to Peco (right), one of the series’ main characters, Granny’s calm demeanor serves as a good contrast to many of the more hot-headed characters. She’s almost always seen with a cigarette hanging from her lips, which also makes her look like a bit of a badass. Beneath her cool exterior, though, she’s still watching out for her students, even when they might be taking a break from the sport.

 

    Granny reminds us that blood isn’t always what makes people family, and that sometimes the people you need most in your life can be found in unexpected places, like a ping pong parlor. So this Mother’s Day don’t forget about the other women in your life, mom or not, who’ve helped to get you where you are.

 

    So, we’ve talked about some moms in supporting roles, but are there any manga where moms are at the forefront? Truthfully, there aren’t a lot of them. Not a lot, however, does not mean zero, and Spy x Family’s Yor Forger is proof of that. 

 

    Yor is a deadly assassin who possesses the strength to kick a moving car out of her daughter's way and is willing to do whatever else it might take to defend her family. And while assassins are usually portrayed as being cold or calloused, Yor is the complete opposite. Her love for her family is even more impressive when you consider that she only got married at the beginning of the series to cover up her career. 

 

    Throughout the story, we see Yor become more accustomed to her new domestic life, and while she might fail when it comes to things like cooking, often to a comedic degree, it is heartwarming nonetheless to watch her strive to be the best mother she can be. Motherhood is a journey, and Yor’s own journey shows just how much a child can change your life.

 

    Blood on the Track’s Seiko Osabe shows us that this change might not always be for the better. At first, Seiko just seems like a stereotypical overprotective mother, but the lengths she’s willing to go might even make Yor Forger shudder.

 

    Within the first volume of the manga, Seiko pushes her own nephew off a cliff, and it only gets darker from there. Over the rest of the series we get to peak into Seiko and her son's pasts, and uncover what's really at the root of her nature. So if you’re looking for some evil mom action this Mother’s Day, consider checking out Blood on the Tracks.

 

    The final mom we’ll be highlighting is Fullmetal Alchemist’s Mrs. Elrich. To fully understand her significance, though, we first need to talk about the series she hails from. Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, one of the manga’s two anime adaptations has been widely regarded as one of the best anime of all time since its release. For context, having one anime adaptation is something to be proud of but two is a monumental accomplishment. And if that wasn't enough, Hiromu Arakawa, the series' author, also found time to raise three children of her own.

 

     Sadly, though, Mrs. Elrich doesn’t get to spend much time in the story as she’s already passed away by the time the first chapter kicks off. In an effort to bring her back to life, her two sons, Edward and Alphonse, performed a forbidden alchemical ritual. There attempt ends in failure, though, and Edward’s arm is replaced with metal while Alphonse’s body disappears and his soul is subsequently bound to a suit of armor. So, while we never get to see what type of mother Mrs. Elrich was, we can infer the lengths of love shared between her and her sons based off how far they were willing to go her. 

 

    With Mrs. Elrich in mind, it's important  to remember those who, for one reason or another, can’t be with their mom this Mother’s Day. We should also take some time to reflect on and appreciate all that our moms have done for us, whether that be writing a genre-defining manga, teaching us a sport, hooking us up with some snacks or, you know, giving birth to us. 

 

    And to Hiromu Arakawa and all the other moms out there, happy Mother’s Day!

To check out any of the manga mentioned, click the links below:

Yotsuba&!

https://eagleeyebooks.com/book/9780316073875

Ping Pong

https://eagleeyebooks.com/book/9781974711659

Spy x Family

https://eagleeyebooks.com/book/9781974715466

Blood on the Tracks

https://eagleeyebooks.com/book/9781949980134

Fullmetal Alchemist

https://eagleeyebooks.com/book/9781421540184

Mother dearest: what’s up with all the evil stepmoms?

I’ve recently been thinking about Hansel & Gretel. It’s so grim. The parents abandon their children for lack of food. The mother acts as if no other option exists. The father, though remorseful, spinelessly succumbs to her plan. After being kidnapped and starved, the children return twice to this toxic household. We’re to read this as a happy ending.

Hansel & Gretel falls into a large cannon of European fairy tales catalyzed by cruel mothers, or stepmothers. But also, the tales we nowadays think of as having cruel stepmothers often started out with just cruel mothers. The Brothers Grimm altered details of the folk tales they recorded, sanitizing them to fit contemporary 19th century values; biological mothers were to be paragons of virtue, so evil mothers became evil stepmothers.

In Hansel & Gretel, Mama gets her just desserts. After the kids return to an overjoyed father, they learn their mother had died, “offscreen.” Almost too easy a storytelling strategy, I think: killing the mom sidesteps the awkward interaction that would otherwise have occurred. But the father gets to share the spoils of a happy ending. Why? Is he not equally guilty of attempted infanticide?

I find similar questions in other Brothers Grimm stories. Cinderella’s father married the cruel stepmother, and did nothing to stop her abuse of his only daughter. Same thing with Snow White: where was her dad during Evil Stepmother’s jealous tirades? It is always the female parent who is punished.

I’m curious: why are the stories so many of us consumed as kids saturated by the evil (step)mother archetype? Perhaps it’s a matter of record, all the Brothers Grimm’ fault. For background, they, Wilhelm and Jacob, were academics riding a 19th century wave of romanticism and German nationalism that brought renewed interest to folk tales, which saw these stories as reflective of German identity. From both peasants and higher-class acquaintances, the Grimms transcribed (and edited) old stories. They popularized some of the most famous fairy tales: Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapnuzel, and, of course, Hansel & Gretel. The brothers lost their father and grandfather at a young age, and, if Jungian analysis is to be believed, perhaps these early losses impacted their perceptions of women. Analysts Alistair & Hauke ascribe to their family deaths the “tendency to idealize and excuse fathers, as well as the predominance of female villains in the tales.” But, in an academic debate highlighted by Wikipedia, opponents of this theory remind us that the Grimms were mostly recorders, rather than authors, of the fairy tales.

Perhaps stepmothers in particular were seen as evil because of the circumstances often surrounding their entrance into families. The 19th century still saw many women die in childbirth, and so stepmothers would be associated with the death of a biological parent, with fairy tales being cautionary tales about how stepmoms ought not to behave. The BBC additionally writes that, perhaps, these stories allowed 19th century readers to process “taboo feelings – like maternal rage and resentment” towards the often-younger stepmothers widowers took on.

Motherhood is no fairy tale. Complex emotions color one’s interactions with the child, the co-parent(s), larger family and societal structures, and oneself; not to mention the visceral changes that rip through the body after childbirth for some mothers. Economic and sociopolitical structures skewer through motherhood, influencing relationships (why were Hansel & Gretel’s family starving? Natural causes affecting food supply, or inequitable feudal structures?). I am familiar mostly with Western fairy tales, and within them, it seems mothers seldom win, or even get much sympathy. I continue to be fascinated with the roots of the evil mother/stepmother archetype, whether they lie in some collective unconscious, or are the manifestation of societal/authorial bias. Either way: I invite us all to look at the evil (step)mother a bit closer, and consider what, or who, made her that way.



And if you want a refresher on the classic Grimm stories, click here to buy from us https://eagleeyebooks.com/book/9780691173221

Beaver Fever: A Toothy Environmental Solution

Every few years, the public crowns a new peoples’ princess of the animal kingdom. Remember all those “Save the Bees” slogans, stickers, license plates, hashtags, gift mugs, and graphic t-shirts a few years back? Remember the early 2010s, when people couldn’t get enough of narwhals and llamas? Kids these days obsess over snails and frogs (perhaps watching too many slime TikToks before their skulls fully fused did a number on their subconscious preferences). Well, now, in 2024, I predict another regime change. Once the current monarch falls, we will unanimously select a new ruler: the beaver.

My proposition comes on the tail of great publications of nature writing of the past few years, particularly Leila Philip’s Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Made America and Ben Goldfarb’s Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter. Plus, there’s the commercial powerhouse of Buc-ee’s, spreading through the Southeastern United States like a bad case of beaver fever. This beaver-themed chain of 120-pump gas stations attached to 74,000 square foot convenience stores has put many beaver-decorated hoodies, boxers, lunchboxes, sets of wrapping paper, plush toys, snack wrappers, baseball caps, ties, decorative cheeseboards, bathing suits, socks, and keychains into circulation. Perhaps my merch-and-literature case is shaky. Then, I also ask you also to consider how crucial beavers are to their environments. 

As Leila Philip explains, beavers are the only animals besides humans who create their own habitats. Their dams, built from trees and shrubs, reshape America’s rivers. Their resulting beaver ponds, where the beavers live, are rich in biodiversity, bringing in birds and bugs. “Pond” calls to mind something a step above a puddle, but beavers sequester, on average, a million gallons of water per pond. According to Philip, the ground underneath the ponds holds millions more gallons, which act as a reservoir during droughts. These earthy sponges also absorb excess floodwater, and filter out contaminants before the water can seep into aquifers.

Humans have a perilous history with this massive mammal. In the 16th century, European settlers trafficked heavily in beaver pelts from North America. According to Wikipedia, there was no tax or tariff imposed on these furs, and traders were further incentivized to hunt in America by the depleting beaver populations back in Europe. Philip says, this fur trade jumpstarted the North American economy, transatlantic trade, and westward expansion. The first American multimillionaire made his fortune in beaver pelts. But beavers are not infinite; overhunting nearly wiped them out.

In the present day, beavers are common again, and often treated as a nuisance. They ruin crops, roads, gardens, and more with their dam practices. But also, their role as environmental stewards is getting greater recognition. Consider the Beaver Drop of 1948. According to Wikipedia, post WWII, folks relocated from urban to rural areas of Idaho, bringing more people into contact with nuisance beavers. The state’s Department of Fish and Game was swamped with complaints of destroyed property. At the same time, central Idaho’s wetlands were in disarray, with beaver populations decimated by previous fur trade. For years, beavers had already been relocated between different parts of the state, but ground transportation proved stressful, with beavers overheating, freaking out, and even dying in the process. Then came the genius plan by Elmo W. Helm to reuse old parachutes and lidded boxes, WWII leftovers, to simply parachute the beavers from overpopulated Northwestern Idaho to the central, beaver-hungry parts of the state. A beaver named Geronimo was the first test subject, and so the rodents took flight. The operation proved successful: 76 beavers found a new home.

Geronimo! Beavers parachuting down.

 

 

 

Beaver safely landed.

Beavers are involved in other ambitious environmental plans. Philip describes beaver ponds in California acting as buffers against wildfires. A University of Wisconsin study concluded that bringing beavers into the Milwaukee River’s watershed would store nearly 1.7 trillion gallons of annual stormwater. Organizations like the Beaver Institute provide tips for coexistence with beavers: pond leveler, culvert diversion fence, sand-based beaver-deterring paint on trees.

Beavers are no angels. They spread giardiasis (a nasty intestinal infection colloquially called “beaver fever”) and rabies. They attack pets and humans when threatened, and even killed a man in Belarus. They exacerbate global warming by causing floods in the Arctic that melt permafrost (that’s supposed to be PERMANENT FROST), which then releases the greenhouse gas methane. But this rodent only does what it knows best: building, and staying busy. They are not at fault when their industriousness collides with our industry. We have much to learn from their environmental practices, and hopefully, we can continue to be co-conspirators in the fight against climate change. Beavers rule!

 Click below to buy beaver books from us:

Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Made America: https://eagleeyebooks.com/book/9781538755204
Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter: https://eagleeyebooks.com/book/9781603589086