The Ever-Present Liquid: A series exploring the shape-shifting magic and destructiveness of water in all its forms
This special collaboration from Narratively and Creative Nonfiction is made possible by support from the Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes and the School for the Future of Innovation in Society at Arizona State University.
Growing up 10 minutes from the beach and having a father who liked to fish in the deep, deep ocean, I have always had a great fondness for water. To this day, my only real goal each summer is to swim in as many different bodies of water as possible. I live in the mountains now, so lakes and rivers have replaced the sea, and I’ve come to love the incomparable ice cold plunge of a creek almost as much as the lingering sting of saltwater. I also know, of course, that water can be scary and even deadly, too.
All this to say, when we started talking to our partners-in-crime at Creative Nonfiction about creating a special series on water together, I was elated. And so was Lee Gutkind, CNF’s co-founder, who for 30 years edified his readers with a different theme or idea in nearly each issue, ranging from diversity to immortality to the indelible impact of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein on its 200th anniversary. “Whatever the theme, our readers were treated with enlightening narratives that offered new perspectives about how we normally think about the subject, and this series achieves that same goal,” Lee says. (This is our second rodeo, by the way — don’t miss our first, a thought-provoking exploration into the art of narrative storytelling.)
There are so many kinds of stories you can tell with water at the center, and the possibilities seemed endless. In the end, the five we chose span the gamut and take place all over the world, from a story in the U.S. about people who choose to stay in their homes after devastating floods; to one in France about a woman who finds solace in swimming after a bad breakup; an essay from Ireland about a naked fundraising swim started by a cancer survivor; down to South America to meet an anarchist revolutionary who attempted one of Argentina’s most daring prison breaks by sea; and, finally, back to France for a story about families living off the coast and off the grid in a remote part of Brittany.
We should say, too, that with so many great submissions, it wasn’t easy to arrive at these few, but we are so proud and excited to see them come to life and to share them with you over the next four weeks. We’re starting things off below with writer and comic Jared Bilski’s harrowing tale of having his home flooded while he was still inside. In his piece, Jared also speaks with others who, like him, have ultimately chosen to stay put despite the ever-increasing risks. “The essays published here demonstrate the power and versatility of creative nonfiction,” Lee says. “No matter the subject, the idea, the time or the place, there’s always a story or 1,000 stories with fascinating characters and lessons to be learned for readers and the writers themselves, as in the essays selected here by Narratively.”
—Jesse Sposato, executive editor of Narratively
The Ever-Present Liquid #1:
Our House Will Flood Again. And Again. Here’s Why We Refuse to Leave.
Story by Jared Bilski
After Jared Bilski’s home took on four feet of water in a hurricane, he and his wife decided to rebuild—despite the threat of more extreme weather. They’re far from the only ones who will never flee.
The Ever-Present Liquid #2:
Swimming My Way Through the Pools of Paris
Story by Colombe Schneck
In an effort to understand a recent breakup, French writer Colombe Schneck finds an unfamiliar freedom in water and learns to finally let go: of control, her fears and finding the point.
The Ever-Present Liquid #3:
The Magic of a Mass Dip in the Nip
Story by Dena Levitz
Weeks after her mastectomy, a cancer survivor organized a group skinny-dip that has set a world record, raised a million euros and become a cathartic annual extravaganza for generations of women.
The Ever-Present Liquid #4:
The Anarchist Icon Behind One of the Most Daring Prison Breaks by Sea
Story by Benton Graham
Simón Radowitzky became a hero among the working class for assassinating a corrupt Buenos Aires police chief in 1909. His supporters were determined to free him at all costs.
The Ever-Present Liquid #5:
Chamber Pots and Candlelight: Meet the Families Who Live Off the Grid on a Remote French Island
Story by Michelle Young
An isolated bay in Brittany has been home to monks, a Nobel Prize winner, even Charles Lindbergh. Today, there’s still no electricity or running water and the inhabitants have no plans to change that.
Note: Audio narration is available for all published stories via the Substack app, which you can download here.