Ellen Ruppel Shell (@ellenruppelshel) 's Twitter Profile
Ellen Ruppel Shell

@ellenruppelshel

Author: Slippery Beast: A True Crime Natural History, With Eels

ID: 43752323

linkhttp://ellenshell.com calendar_today31-05-2009 20:44:45

226 Tweet

550 Followers

498 Following

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Slippery Beast is an August "ten best non-fiction". in Book Riot! "Micro-history and true crime lovers will both love this fascinating story." bookriot.com/new-nonfiction…; ellenshell.com

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Wow! “If you are not already enchanted by eels, this situation will be resolved after a few pages of this spellbinding book. Ellen Ruppel Shell will astound you, delight you, distress you, and make you fall in love with these mysterious, shape-shifting creatures" – Sy Montgomery

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I think most authors can relate to this--my essay on getting slammed years ago by a NYTimes book critic in Writers' Digest: writersdigest.com/getting-publis…

Ellen Ruppel Shell (@ellenruppelshel) 's Twitter Profile Photo

Thanks to the fantastic Avory Sivertson for the great conversation about Slippery Beast on Radio Boston: wbur.org/radioboston/20…. .

Surprised Eel Historian, PhD (@greenleejw) 's Twitter Profile Photo

Have have someone in your life who's hard to get gifts for? Well...maybe you should be like Queen Ælgyfu, & make a bold choice: eels! In 1020, the queen gave the monks of Bury St. Edmunds her eel-rent from Lakenheath, worth 4,000 eels per year. Just to let them know she cared.

Have have someone in your life who's hard to get gifts for? Well...maybe you should be like Queen Ælgyfu, & make a bold choice: eels!

In 1020, the queen gave the monks of Bury St. Edmunds her eel-rent from Lakenheath, worth 4,000 eels per year. Just to let them know she cared.
Ellen Ruppel Shell (@ellenruppelshel) 's Twitter Profile Photo

Thrilled that NYTimes Science Writing superstars Carl Zimmer and Robin Marantz Henig are joining me at this Brooklyn Book Fest bookends event--do stop by if you can--we'll be talking eels, story telling and a whole lot more: powerhousearena.com/events/book-la…

Surprised Eel Historian, PhD (@greenleejw) 's Twitter Profile Photo

Eels were so prevalent in the medieval Fens that some villages paid rent to multiple landlords. The village of Welles is a good example. In the 13th C., the villagers paid: 60,000 eels --> Ramsey abbot 4,000 --> Peterborough abbot 300 --> Romsey abbess 250 --> Chatteris abbot

Eels were so prevalent in the medieval Fens that some villages paid rent to multiple landlords. The village of Welles is a good example.

In the 13th C., the villagers paid:
60,000 eels --> Ramsey abbot
4,000 --> Peterborough abbot
300 --> Romsey abbess
250 --> Chatteris abbot
Science Friday (@scifri) 's Twitter Profile Photo

Eels have fascinated humans for thousands of years, even captivating big thinkers like Aristotle and Freud. Ellen Ruppel Shell joins us to talk about the natural history of eels and the crime ring that has sprung up from illegally trafficking them. sciencefriday.com/segments/slipp…

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American Unagi is featured in Slippery Beast--along with its intrepid and tireless founder, Sara Rademaker! The finest American eel available in the US today!

Ellen Ruppel Shell (@ellenruppelshel) 's Twitter Profile Photo

Thanks, Publishers Weekly for this wonderfully generous review of Slippery Beast! "Shell balances her meticulous reporting with a sly appreciation for the absurdity of her subject and a novelist’s gift for characterization. Fans of Susan Orlean will love this."

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Thanks, Wall Street Journal, for this RAVE review of Slippery Beast (mind the paywall): wsj.com/arts-culture/b… #eels #slipperybeast #truecrime #elvers