The Seaboard Review of Books: Monday Edition
March 16, 2026
In this issue:
Breathing is How Some People Stay Alive by Alison Gadsby (Short Fiction)
The Harvesting of Haystacks Kane by Steve Schlam (Fiction)
Alias O. Henry by Ben Yagoda (Fiction)
Seventy-Two Seasons: A Memoir About Noticing by M.A.C. Farrant (Non-Fiction)
Screaming Obscenities at the Sky by Christian McPherson (Poetry)
New-Fangled Rose by Sue Sinclair (Poetry)
Thanks for reading this issue of The Seaboard Review of Books!
James M. Fisher, editor-in-chief
Fiction
Non-Fiction
Poetry
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Kings of Their Own Ocean is a dizzying world tour of the bluefin tuna fisheries. Pinchin dives into the mega fish's history (in ancient Greece!), biology, markets, politics, the very human personalities of its most outspoken advocates, and a fish called Amelia. Through her narrative I learned that the "Moonies", who I associate with mass weddings and rightwing politics, made a fortune in big tuna and supplying Japanese restaurants with delicious sushi ingredients.
Having spent some time interviewing Cape Breton fishermen, I know that fish conservation is a heated topic. Fistfights have erupted, boats have been burnt. Pinchin's conservationists tear apart one another's writings at times, resorting to personal attacks on blogs. Their personal stories carry the narrative, which is at the same time deeply embedded with the importance and difficulty of international cooperation around a shared and finite resource. This is what I appreciate most about her story, the humanization of scientists, environmental advocates, fishermen, and consumers. It is humans that are destroying the environment, but also humans that must learn to be its stewards. (Contributed by Chris Benjamin)
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