“Hemingway said that no true story has a happy ending. Certainly no true fishing story does." So writes Mark Kurlansky, a “maestro of metaphor” (SF Chronicle) in the preface to his wry, canny, revealing new collection of short fiction. In each of these nine stories, we follow a different fisherman through the waters of Hawaii, New England, the Florida Keys, the San Francisco Bay, and everywhere in between, watching as they suffer the good, the bad, and the weird.
Featuring Kurlansky’s own black-and-white illustrations throughout, and shining with his signature eccentric characters and darkly funny voice, Fish Noir reads like a day spent fishing for the perfect catch: the food, the sun, and the sudden fight to keep it all from slipping right through one’s fingers.
Fish Noir: Stories
By Mark Kurlansky
From New York Times bestselling author Mark Kurlansky, nine darkly delectable tales centering on the battle between fish and fisherman—and the bizarre fates awaiting them in the depths.
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Book Details
Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing US l Pub date: November 2027 l Format: 5 1/2 x 8 1/4 l Extent: 192
About the Author
Mark Kurlansky is the New York Times bestselling author of Salt, Cod, and The Unreasonable Virtue of Fly Fishing, among other titles. His most recent fiction, Cheesecake, was published by Bloomsbury in 2025. He has received the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, Bon Appétit's Food Writer of the Year Award, the James Beard Award, and the Glenfiddich Award. He is a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Times and frequently contributes to the New York Times and the London Guardian. A four-time Jeopardy! clue, he lives in New York City.
www.markkurlansky.com
