Salt and Corruption
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Hello Humans, In lieu of my monthly newsletter I wanted to share with you a historical longform piece I wrote, titled Salt and Corruption, that was published in The Missouri Review this morning. "Once a multi-billion-dollar industry in today’s money, the illicit business of “crimping” thrived in nineteenth and early twentieth-century port cities on the West Coast. “Crimping” names the practice of kidnapping able-bodied men for forced labor on lengthy sea voyages. In language that captures the briny, shady spirit of the times, Ben Kissam’s “Salt and Corruption” offers a fascinating account of a once widespread, now little-known form of human trafficking that ruined countless American lives."The inspiration for this piece came from a documentary I watched last fall that mentioned crimping briefly. I spent the next several days reading about the history of shanghaied men in Portland, Seattle, and San Francisco, and this piece, loosely based on true events, was born from it. The Missouri Review is one of the most highly regarded literary magazines in the country. They receive over 12,000 submissions annually and have an acceptance rate of <1%, so I was thrilled when they accepted the piece. Enjoy! Until next month, Ben Kissam |
Ben Kissam
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