With a title like “Dammit Carl” you are probably wondering what this episode is about and who Carl is. I can speak to the “about” but you’ll have to listen to the episode to hear about the latter. It is well worth it.
Steve Angell and I have been friends for a decade or more. Our friendship started during the early days of Twitter when the point of the platform was to make connections and have conversations. Now its all about self promotion, biased political views, and finding ways to get people cancelled.
Look folks, we ruin nice things. That is what people do. We are really good at it. I don’t care what the platform is, people will eventually migrate to it, saturate it with nonsense, and ruin it. That being said, every batch of bad apples has one or two that are still edible despite the lingering aftertaste. That sums up my relationship with Steve perfectly!
All jokes aside, Steve and I have shared many hunts together and a few of them made it into print. The best of which is a chapter titled “Dung Beetles and Sandspurs”, which is an ode to a particularly miserable hog hunt we participated in on Cumberland Island. We talk about this hunt (and others) in this episode, which is a behind the scenes look at my latest book Clumsy Predators. Give it a listen. I think you will enjoy it and share a laugh or two.
Speaking of laughs, I re-ordered more of both of my books for those who would like signed copies. And both are available on Amazon for those of you who have Prime.
If you have already read Clumsy Predators or Life and Longbows, PLEASE take the time to leave me an Amazon review. It HELPS.
Most good things are worth waiting for it, and I know this is one of them…
When I wrote Life and Longbows, I was sure I would write another book. I had every intention of publishing that book in 2020 without really knowing what it would be. I still had bowhunting stories in the quiver and several more about my new passion for fly fishing, but I didn’t have a theme or a title.
I had been reading books by John Gierach and Pat McManus, which brought me a great deal of joy. Their humorous reveal-all approach to the lighter side of hunting and fishing was what I was trying to capture with my own writing. I wanted my readers to relate to me, and I wanted them to laugh. It didn’t matter if they laughed with me or at me.
Then the pandemic hit and everything went sideways. People were sick, afraid, frustrated, and looking to lash out at anyone who thought differently than they did about the situation. The longer we stayed home, the more divided we became. Regardless of how you felt about the pandemic and how it was handled, we can all agree it was a bad situation that caused trauma and left depression in its wake. Suffice to say, I didn’t publish a book in 2020. Nor did I in 2021, 2022, or 2023.
You might be wondering why. I had time on my hands after all, and publishing a book of humorous happenings would have been a great way to lift spirits and help people forget about what was going on around them for awhile. I wish it worked that way for me. It just doesn’t. Some writers can turn it off and on at will throughout the creative process. I am not one of those people. My writing inspiration comes in waves. I am a literary juggernaut during high tide. The words are abundant and flow as if they have their own heart and mind, all I have to do is point them in the proper direction. I’m a vessel run aground when the tide is low; churning the bottom with damaged props and hoping to dredge up enough words to fill a page.
I wasn’t happy for awhile, and it is difficult to write about positive things when you are in a negative state-of-mind. My writing is based on real events that happened with real people and each one made me feel a certain way. I have to be in the correct head space to do them literary justice. Labored writing is easily spotted by avid readers.
Working and writing from home on the same computer didn’t help either. I had a hard time disconnecting from my job when the workday ended. My book became a low priority project without a due date. That is never a good place to be for a creative person. Still, I kept at it, had a new adventure or two, and developed a new perspective on life. Ironically, death was the catalyst. Well…that and entering my 40s.
The world lost a lot of great people post-pandemic. The traditional bowhunting community in particular was rocked by the passing of several key members, including archery legends G. Fred Asbell and Ron LaClair, who had immeasurable impact on the sport. Archery organizations, such as the Michigan Longbow Association, Michigan Traditional Bowhunters, Michigan Bowhunters, and Compton Traditional Bowhunters were devastated by the loss of key contributors, past leaders, and former council members — who possessed a wealth of knowledge, talent, and history we will never get back. There were many personal losses in addition, including my grandmother.
An aging co-worker once told me, “Nick I’ve reached the age where people you know and love start dying.” It was an awkward conversation at the time, but I never forgot it and have aged to feel the weight of her words. I realized Clumsy Predators needed to be finished, and in the words echoed in Hamilton, began writing like I was running out of time.
We are only here for a cup of coffee, and we could be gone before it is finished. I hope you enjoy Clumsy Predators.
Visit my bookshelf to purchase signed copies of Clumsy Predators. If you haven’t read Life and Longbows, I encourage you start there. Both chronicle a journey many of you can identify with and I would hate for you to jump into the middle of it. If this is you, a package is available. Both books are also available on Amazon but they will not be signed. If you purchase either of them there and enjoy them, PLEASE leave a review. It gives me the exposure and encouragement I need to keep writing books.
Life and Longbows 