Swamplandia!

by Karen Russell

Island tameness is the tendency of many populations and species of animals living on isolated islands to lose their wariness of potential predators. “We Bigtrees are an island species,” he told us. “I’ve been reading your brother’s textbook here.” He hoisted an antiquarian-looking book with the faded coin of a Library Boat sticker on its spine. “Turns out we islanders are very special. A bunch of new and wonderful crap can evolve here because we’re off to ourselves. But there are also trade-offs. Island species get complacent.” NEW PREDATOR: WORLD OF DARKNESS he wrote, and beneath this: OUR EVOLUTION: CARNIVAL DARWINISM Kiwi chuckled. He could manufacture laughter as joyless as flat cola. “How are we going to adapt, exactly?” he asked the Chief from inside the cave of his hat. “Are we going to hike prices again? ’Cause if we only have two tourists in the stands, Dad, it doesn’t matter how much we charge them. We’ll never break even …” The Chief continued to write: REVENUE FOR MARCH: $1,230 OUTSTANDING DEBT: $52,560* When the Chief put an asterisk next to something, it meant that he was only telling you the best part of the truth. He wasn’t being dishonest, he explained—he was only letting us know that our debt was “evolving.” Just like everything else in this universe. The asterisk, the Chief taught us, was the special punctuation that God gave us for neutralizing lies. One recent example would be “Your mother’s cancer is getting better.*” “What about the county taxes?” Ki...