MARK SPITZER
MARK SPITZER was the author of thirty-plus books, including Monster Fishing, In Search of Monster Fish, Beautifully Grotesque Fish of the American West, Season of the Gar, and Return of the Gar. He appeared on the Animal Planet series River Monsters and consulted for National Geographic’s Monster Fish show. Spitzer was professor of creative writing at both Truman State University and the University of Central Arkansas, with a specialization in poetry and creative nonfiction. He was also editor-in-chief of the avant-garde poetry series Toad Suck Éditions. With his spouse, Lea Graham, he lived part time in New York’s Mid-Hudson Valley, where he hiked the mountain trails hunting salamanders and wild mushrooms with his dog.
BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR
MONSTER FISHING
Caught in the Ethics of Angling
An investigation into the bioethics of fish pain and suffering leads to a lifestyle-changing discovery for monster-fisher Mark Spitzer. Monster Fishing: Caught in the Ethics of Angling is a bestiary of gar, sharks, ratfish, buffalo, carp, pike, gaspergou, and the human spirit fighting to preserve a planet in distress. After fifty years of fishing waters worldwide, extreme angler Mark Spitzer takes a hard look at his impact on monster fish and their environments. Through action-packed adventures exploring both familiar and foreign waters during a deadly global pandemic, this deep dive into the neurobiology of fish suffering and stress invites a new way of seeing aquatic species and holding ourselves accountable for the health of our shared planet.
"Spitzer is a unique voice in angling literature."