Wrapping up 2025
I’m aiming to send these monthly emails each each month, and to make that happen this time, I’ll keep this one brief—mostly just updates below.
November was the month when a wild, transformative year started to turn toward its conclusion. It was fun to kick it off with a Southlands launch party and watch the magazine begin to catch a little swell of attention. I should have one more story come out in 2025 (in a publication I’ve very excited about!). Otherwise I’m trying to devote my time toward planning—thinking about how to grow the magazine and preparing for other big changes ahead.
Recent Stories
Farming the Ocean (Sea Change/FERN): Across the world, wild seafood is being replaced by farmed fish—and now that industry is coming to America, and to the Gulf in particular. What will that mean for how we connect to the ocean? This long-term project, in collaboration with the Food and Environment Reporting Network, goes deep. And it’s not over yet! I’m hoping to write several magazine stories about these issues. For now, though, there are two podcast episodes:
Part 1 explores a contentious proposal to bring fish pens to the Gulf.
Part 2 looks at how the last kingdom of wild oysters is increasingly turning to farms.
Upcoming events
December 6 (Hattiesburg, MS): Voices for Our Rivers
My final event of the year! Featuring legendary musician Cary Hudson from 12-2, and then a panel with Patrick Parker (Paddleways of Mississippi)
January 14 (New Orleans): Gallery Talk at the New Orleans Museum of Art
January 15 (New Orleans): Book Club Discussion at the New Orleans Museum of Art
These accompany the great exhibition of photos by Nicolas Floc’h exploring the Mississippi watershed. Watch for more details soon!
More Than A Year After Her Tragedy, Lulu Gribbin Inspires Us With Her Sense Of Hope, Purpose, And Advocacy (Southern Living)
This, by contrast, was a quick-turn assignment. Sid Evans, SL’s editor-in-chief, asked if I’d be willing to profile Gribbin, who last year was attacked by a shark off the coast of Florida and lost two limbs. She and her family used that tragedy as an opportunity to build a better world—which is why she was named SL’s Southerner of the Year. Not my typical assignment, but I was really impressed by Gribbin and her family.
Recent Interviews and Coverage
The interviews these days have turned away from The Great River and toward Southlands, I guess. I really enjoyed speaking with Jesse Mayshark of the Progessive South on his Headlights podcast. And I was floored by this generous write-up of the magazine in the Baton Rouge Advocate.
November Scenes
