Tinker on the Marsh
Tinker on the Marsh is a weekly newsletter by Michele Christle* informed by explorations of a tidal marsh in so-called Maine—physical explorations as well as explorations of historical archives, stories, geology, ecology, migrations, place names, archaeology, ship building/sailing, and cartography.
“Michele Christle has a knack for making the mega local mega interesting.”
About the Tinker on the Marsh Newsletter
Tinker on the Marsh is a place to write about a piece of metal I found burrowed into the marsh and whether or not it is indeed a cannonball, the Lion’s Mane jellyfish that washed up out of season, a cormorant mandible, travel by water, rumors of buried treasures, horseradish growing on abandoned homesteads, diasporic communities, items found while metal detecting, old maps, a walrus toe bone, and what this all means.
Tinker on the Marsh is an ode to this land and waters (especially kʷikʷimə́ssəwihtəkʷ—Marsh River/Black Duck Stream) and to all the human and more than human beings who have ever inhabited them and who will inhabit them in the future.
Subscriptions
Most—if not all—Tinker on the Marsh posts are available to everyone, regardless of subscriber status. If you want to read about the marsh, I want you to be able to.
Subscribing as a free or paid member means you will receive Tinker in the Marsh in your email inbox. All paid subscribers will receive a Tinker on the Marsh postcard somewhat automatically due to how Patreon is set up but if you are a free subscriber, send me your mailing address and a postcard will make its way to you.
If you can swing $5 a month to support this endeavor, thank you!
Delivery
I aspire to publish this newsletter weekly on Friday mornings.
Behind the Name
The name "Tinker on the Marsh” comes from a poem of the same name by Cecilia Reed, published in the History of Frankfort. Technically, the tinkering in Reed’s poem refers to the sound of a murderous pirate captain counting the coins he’s hidden in Mendall Marsh (😱) but the poem also highlights the ambiguity around interpretations of the sights and sounds around the marsh, which I lean into much more than mad cackling over gold coins.
*I am not an expert on any of these matters. Thank you for your understanding as well as for letting me know if I've got anything wrong.
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Financial support allows me to spend more time tinkering on the marsh, researching, exploring, thinking, interviewing people, and writing about it.
Direct support for artists and writers allows us to focus on the creative process rather than fretting about survival—commercial or otherwise. Financial security promotes the creative process, too. If you can’t swing a paid subscription, it’s okay. We all have each other’s backs.
I redistribute 10% of my writing earnings annually—in the case of earnings from Tinker on the Marsh, to Wabanaki-led groups, local historical societies. local land trusts, and sometimes local humans.
Thank you for reading, supporting, sharing, and thinking with me.