Under the Sea Wind by Rachel Carson

 

“The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us the less taste we shall have for the destruction of our race. Wonder and humility are wholesome emotions, and they do not exist side by side with a lust for destruction.” ~ Rachel Carson

 

Source of book: I own this.

 

When the Library of America came out with this book on pre-sale at a significantly reduced price, I decided to purchase it. This volume contains all three of her books about the ocean and its organisms. I read the first one, Under the Sea Wind, for my first experience of Carson’s writing. 

 

Under the Sea Wind had an unusual origin. In 1936, Carson was asked to write an introduction to a forthcoming publication by what was then the Bureau of Fisheries. (Now part of the Fish and Wildlife Service.) Carson’s submission turned out to be not only too long, but too “literary” for a government document. However, the Bureau chief liked it enough to suggest that Carson submit it as an essay to The Atlantic. From there, it caught the eye of Simon & Schuster, who requested that she expand it into a book. 

 

Carson had never really considered being a popular author - her main job was as a naturalist and copywriter for the Bureau. Nevertheless, she wrote the book. It didn’t sell well, despite praise from critics. Perhaps a factor was that by 1941, World War Two was sucking all the attention. 

 

Nevertheless, Carson continued to write articles, even if she had to keep her day job for the time. It wasn’t until later, in 1951, with the publication of her second book, The Sea Around Us, that Carson’s career as a writer really took off. By that time, the American public was newly fascinated with the ocean, and her new book sold well. In addition, Under the Sea Wind was re-published, and also became a huge smash. 

 

While Silent Spring is rightfully considered her masterpiece, her earlier writings about the sea are lovely as well - and they brim with her sense of wonder and affection for the natural world. 

 

Under the Sea Wind seems to me to be a sort of link between Thornton Burgess, who wrote books for children about animals that held a surprising amount of scientific content, and later pop-science writers (including Carson herself in her later works) who wrote for an adult audience. 

 

The reason for this is that in this book, Carson personifies her animal characters, giving them “names” (which are their scientific names, actually) and ascribing emotions as they go through their perilous lives. They are not humanized though - the feelings are at the level and of the sort that any creature trying to eat and not get eaten would have. 

 

Despite the personification, the book reads very much like the narration for the typical nature show I remember from my childhood on PBS. The forerunner, so to speak, for David Attenborough. 

 

The book is in three sections, each following one particular migration, although there are digressions to discuss other creatures along the way. The first follows the migration of the Black Skimmer (aka Rynchops) from South America to the Arctic. Other migratory and non-migratory birds are discussed along the way, as well as the general ecosystem of Carson’s native New England coast. 

 

The second section is all about Mackerel, specifically Scomber. Young Mackerel are born in the sea, never to know their parents. The larvae drift in the current until they become large enough to swim, eventually migrating from the bays out to the pelagic zone. 

 

The third section follows the life cycle of the Eel, Anguilla, from its birth in the Sargasso Sea to its adult life in the ponds, lakes, and rivers of the East Coast. 

 

Carson combines extensive knowledge of her subject with compelling and vivid writing. There are a few places where the book betrays its age - we know more about some of the organisms now than we did in 1941 - but like a good scientist, Carson is ready to admit that there were (and are still) many unknown when it comes to the ocean and its creatures. 

 

This book would be fine to read to any kids who are okay with the circle of life - while the main characters survive, there are plenty of fish and birds and other animals that are eaten in this book. The writing level is suitable for children, yet at a literary level. 

 

***

 

Rachel Carson was one of the “quietly queer” luminaries of her time, before it was entirely safe to be out. She had a long and affectionate relationship with Dorothy Freeman, a married woman. 

 

There are likely a number of reasons why Carson carefully hid her sexuality and destroyed much of her correspondence before her untimely death of cancer at age 56. Prime among them was likely that she was already viewed with suspicion as to her scientific credentials. After all, she was unmarried, had no children, and was, for pete’s sake, a woman in science. 

 

As it was, her critics indulged in personal attacks when they found they had no scientific grounds for criticism of her work. The worst, of course, were the chemical companies determined to cover up the catastrophic impact on the environment their products were making. To have come out during a period of rampant and vicious homophobia and bigotry would have been to immolate her career. In that sense, she chose science over her sexuality. 

 

I think it is important in our own time to resist the urge to cover up the sexuality of our past heroes. In particular, allowing misogyny and homophobia to marginalize the identities of people like Rachel Carson, we lose sight of just how vital the contributions of lesbians (and other queer folk) have been to our world. When we erase, we make it easier to persecute those who are and will be necessary to a healthy society. We make it easier for the fascists of our time to demonize and slander LGBTQ people.