In My Watery Self: An Aquatic Memoir, author/scientist Stephen Spotte
traces a fascinating trail through a life that began in West Virgina
coal camps, drifted through reckless bohemian times of countercultural
indulgence in Beach Haven, New Jersey, and led to a career as a
highly-respected marine biologist. Together, these stories form a view
not just of one man's life, but that of a generation that often refused
to take a direct path to the workplace, insisting instead on a winding
unveiling of true self-realization, to achieve previously-unimagined
outcomes. For Spotte, the key was water: His years of beach living led
to a self-initiated study of literature and the sea. He eventually
returned to college and received his training as a marine biologist, and
discovered, through his singular voice, a wet and occasionally very
weird perspective on the world. His writing is engrossing throughout,
the stories he shares--such as his stint as curator of the New York
Aquarium at Coney Island at the tail end of the hippie era--are
compelling and thoroughly enjoyable as he elevates the people and
situations he encounters to mythical levels, blending empirical
observation with literary prose.