A curious blend of biography and memoir. Why Fish Don’t Exist questioned our desire to label and compartmentalize to make order out of chaos, showed us how this finite & hierarchical way of thinking could feed dangerous viewpoints, and also treated us to a bit of a coming-of-age story with some prompters on how to think about life.

I truly enjoyed the final message - though I’m sure it would be more impactful for others depending on your stage of life and comfort with your place in the universe.

I didn’t love the treatment of David Starr Jordan’s place in the eugenics movement (and his abuse of power, racism, ableism, and so on) as a sort of twist or ‘gotcha’. I think the throughline (that forcing chaos into order is both scientifically inaccurate and deeply harmful & that Jordan’s obsession with hierarchy encouraged his bigoted ideals) worked without Miller romanticizing Jordan for most of the book, and Miller could have easily hinted that her feelings for Jordan had shifted far earlier. 

That was definitely a stumble for me (I’m decidedly less interested in stories of white women saddened by new knowledge about their heroes), and could also be very triggering for readers who have no idea that it is coming.

Otherwise, I enjoyed the storytelling & Miller’s journey with her queerness. I loved the energy of embracing the chaos around you. I liked the invitation to question everything that I categorize, and what it would feel like to release that.

CW: death, eugenics, forced sterilization, ableism, racism, genocide, suicidal thoughts/attempt, forced institutionalization, medical trauma, mental illness, murder, self harm, rape, child abuse, infertility, xenophobia, animal cruelty/death, infidelity

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