Submersed - by Matthew Gavin Frank (Hardcover)

About the Book

"An exquisite, lyrical foray into the world of deep-sea divers, the obsession and madness that oceans inspire in us, and the story of submarine inventor Peter Madsen's murder of journalist Kim Wall-a captivating blend of literary prose, science writing, and true crime Submersed begins with an investigation into the beguiling subculture of DIY submersible obsessives: men and women-but mostly men-who are so compelled to sink into the deep sea that they become amateur backyard submarine-builders. Should they succeed in fashioning a craft in their garage or driveway and set sail, they do so at great personal risk-as the 2023 fatal implosion of Stockton Rush's much more highly funded submarine, Titan, proved to the world. Matthew Gavin Frank explores the origins of the human compulsion to sink to depth, from the diving bells of Aristotle and Alexander the Great to the Confederate H. L. Hunley, which became the first submersible to sink an enemy warship before itself being sunk during the Civil War. The deeper he plunges, however, the more the obsession seems to dovetail with more threatening traits. Following the grisly murder of journalist Kim Wall at the hands of eccentric entrepreneur Peter Madsen aboard his DIY midget submarine, Frank finds himself reckoning with obsession's darkest extremes. Weaving together elements of true crime, the strange history of the submarine, the mythology of the deep sea, and the physical and mental side effects of sinking to great depth, Frank attempts to get to the bottom of this niche compulsion to chase the extreme in our planet's bodies of water and in our own bodies. What he comes to discover, and interrogate, are the odd and unexpected overlaps between the unquenchable human desire to descend into deep water, and a penchant for unspeakable violence"--

Book Synopsis

An exquisite, lyrical foray into the world of deep-sea divers, the obsession and madness that oceans inspire in us, and the story of submarine inventor Peter Madsen's murder of journalist Kim Wall--a captivating blend of literary prose, science writing, and true crime

"[A] thrilling study of an obsession--to sink below the surface, to depths both metaphoric and in fact. Full of wild characters and strange histories, by the end we are convinced, in no small part by the beauty of [Frank's] language, that this is one of the most important stories ever told."--Nick Flynn, author of This Is the Night Our House Will Catch Fire

Submersed begins with an investigation into the beguiling subculture of DIY submersible obsessives: men and women--but mostly men--who are so compelled to sink into the deep sea that they become amateur backyard submarine-builders. Should they succeed in fashioning a craft in their garage or driveway and set sail, they do so at great personal risk--as the 2023 fatal implosion of Stockton Rush's much more highly funded submarine, Titan, proved to the world.

Matthew Gavin Frank explores the origins of the human compulsion to sink to depth, from the diving bells of Aristotle and Alexander the Great to the Confederate H. L. Hunley, which became the first submersible to sink an enemy warship before itself being sunk during the Civil War. The deeper he plunges, however, the more the obsession seems to dovetail with more threatening traits. Following the grisly murder of journalist Kim Wall at the hands of eccentric entrepreneur Peter Madsen aboard his DIY midget submarine, Frank finds himself reckoning with obsession's darkest extremes.

Weaving together elements of true crime, the strange history of the submarine, the mythology of the deep sea, and the physical and mental side effects of sinking to great depth, Frank attempts to get to the bottom of this niche compulsion to chase the extreme in our planet's bodies of water and in our own bodies. What he comes to discover, and interrogate, are the odd and unexpected overlaps between the unquenchable human desire to descend into deep water, and a penchant for unspeakable violence.

Review Quotes

"A strange and beautiful journey into the depths--literally--of obsession and intrigue at the edge of the known world."
--Jonathan Meiburg, author of A Most Remarkable Creature

"For as long as I can remember, I've been afraid of the ocean. So begins Matthew Gavin Frank's thrilling study of an obsession--to sink below the surface, to depths both metaphoric and in fact. Frank travels the world, combs through archives, gathers stories of a world most of us will never witness, even as it is all around us. Full of wild characters and strange histories, by the end we are convinced, in no small part by the beauty of his language, that this is one of the most important stories ever told."
--Nick Flynn, author of This Is the Night Our House Will Catch Fire

"Submersed might be the scariest book I've ever read: I can feel little bubbles of panic float up in me if I just imagine stepping onto an amateur submarine. But I'll follow an essayist like Matthew Gavin Frank anywhere, and he's crafted an exceptional journey into the down deep, beautifully examining 'the nagging drive to embed the body into a balloon-like enclosure and float alongside the fishes.' Reading this book, I felt rearranged at an atomic level. What a gift."
--Kristen Radtke, author of Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness

"Submersed is a dizzying and riveting descent into obsession, toxic masculinity, and the irresistible desire to reach new depths or tell a good story. Matthew Gavin Frank plunges far beneath the surface to observe the best and worst of humanity. A work of narrative nonfiction that is as astonishing as diaphanous sea creatures. One of the best books I've ever read."
--Michele Filgate, editor of What My Father and I Don't Talk About

"Matthew Gavin Frank is a master storyteller. A poetic true-crime cousin of Truman Capote's classic In Cold Blood, Submersed navigates the horrific murder of journalist Kim Wall, the eccentric culture of the DIY submersible community, and our human relationship to large bodies of water. Believe me, you won't be able to put this book down until you arrive at the very last page. It's stunning, commanding, and haunting all at once."
--S. Kirk Walsh, nationally bestselling author of The Elephant of Belfast

"From the DIY pop-up postindustrial steampunk shipyards of Denmark to misogyny and murder, Matthew Gavin Frank is a furnace of intelligence and curiosity. Plumbing the depths and heights of the sea and the human condition, Submersed is an environmental story about obsession and desire, including Frank's own, where he becomes embedded in the oceanic kelp of cultural complexities and complicated lives. Radiant, dark, elegant, perceptive, Submersed reveals how external landscapes affect our internal ones."
--Kerri Arsenault, author of Mill Town

About the Author

MATTHEW GAVIN FRANK is the author of the nonfiction books Flight of the Diamond Smugglers, The Mad Feast, Preparing the Ghost, Pot Farm, and Barolo, as well as the poetry books The Morrow Plots, Warranty in Zulu, and Sagittarius Agitprop. His work has appeared in The Kenyon Review, The Paris Review, Guernica, The New Republic, Iowa Review, Salon, Conjunctions, The Believer, and the Best Travel Writing and Best Food Writing anthologies. He's a professor of creative writing in the Masters of Fine Arts Program at Northern Michigan University, where he is also the Nonfiction/Hybrids Editor of the literary magazine, Passages North.