Checking In with @waterkeepermark and Swim Drink Fish Ambassador Tanis Rideout

Mark is Checking In with Swim Drink FIsh Ambassadors about living with social distancing. Here, Tanis Rideout answers Mark’s questions.

Tanis Rideout’s first novel, Above All Things, was a critically acclaimed best-seller, a Globe and Mail Best Book, and a New York Times Editors’ Pick. Her award winning poetry collection, Arguments with the Lake, grew out of her relationship with Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, which named her the Poet Laureate of Lake Ontario in 2006. Tanis Rideout now lives in Los Angeles.

MM: How are you doing?

TR: Ok – some ups and downs. It’s weird how even this becomes routine, so more good days than bad now. I miss places and people. I miss being able to make plans, or even make plans to make plans. But we’re healthy, and working, and all in all pretty fortunate. Connecting with people a lot, which has been an upside.

MM: Where are you living and what are your daily routines?

TR: In Los Angeles, near Griffith Park, which has been a real lifesaver – to have such a huge park just outside the door, even if the trails are closed.

Most mornings start with exercise – after being woken up by the four (!!) foster kittens we’re taking care of. Either a run, or body weight stuff at home. Maybe by the end of this I’ll finally be able to do pullups. I’ve been doing a lot of cooking and cleaning and lots of reading. I’ve just finished a draft of a novel, so am settling back in to writing this week.

Cocktail at the end of the day, and then dinner. A few nights a week we Skype or Zoom with friends either nearby or faraway.

L.A. has lots of hidden staircases in the hills so on the weekends we take long walks in different neighbourhoods of the city to check them out.

MM: What are you looking forward to most?

TR: Going out to dinner and drinks, having people over. Cooking for other people. Planning on travelling. Going swimming and camping. 

MM: Do you believe the Covid-19 crisis will leave lasting scars on our world? If so, how?

TR: Absolutely, but I think it’s contingent on us to determine what those will be.

We’re seeing priorities shift, we’re seeing the weaknesses – and strengths – in our systems absolutely everywhere. We’re seeing the possibilities to change those systems.

I think there are so many opportunities here – and certainly the cynical and corporate and greedy will try and take advantage of them – and so should we, as progressives.

It’s time to make green jobs for people who have lost work, it’s time to reprioritize what and how we value people and things, how and where we buy things, how we travel, and how we work.

It’s time for universal income, and here, in the U.S., definitely past time to decouple healthcare from employment.

I think it’s a time for imagining so much more than what is already in front of us.

MM: If you were a fish, what would it be?

TR: Just before this, we spent some time snorkelling and scuba diving in Hawaii – we saw so many amazing fish – manta rays, and moray eels, clown and parrot fish. Just the sheer numbers of them are extraordinary. Some of my favourites though, are the square puffer fish. So I’m gonna go with that. I can be a bit prickly if scared, but generally pretty cute and welcoming.

MM: Are you currently involved in any citizen science engagement in your community? Swim Guide? Gassy? Monitoring Hub? iNaturalist? Other?

TR: All our beaches are closed here, so we haven’t been checking out Swim Guide much these days, but I’ve just been checking out Gassy recently and am looking forward to using it!

Stay tuned for more in this Checking In series with @waterkeepermark.
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