Please enjoy this thread about diving, masculinity, jellyfish, and piss
Some people just really know how to tell a story, you know? They paint a picture. It’s like you’re really there. James Baldwin. Anton Chekhov. Dorothy Parker. And this guy:
Every so often, a viral Twitter thread comes along and one thinks to themselves, “Oh, right, this is why I use Twitter. This, and memes about Avatar: The Last Airbender.” Chris Jones, author of Out of Orbit: The Incredible True Story of Three Astronauts Who Were Hundreds of Miles Above Earth When They Lost Their Ride Home, is responsible for this one. It presents a conundrum to your Great Job Internet writer, who’s faced with the challenge of somehow supplementing that which is already marvelous. It’s daunting, but needs must, so let’s continue. Here are the next two.
Can’t you just smell it? The sunblock? The sea? The body spray? Jones conjures a vivid sense of place. The Florida sun glints off the giant watches. The four-foot fins flap. The empty Mich Ultra cans rattle musically as they roll across the deck. A new adventure has begun, bros.
Moving on. Next two.
This is a great transition. The scene set, Jones introduces himself as a contrasting figure, a knock-kneed teen trying hard to square up his shoulders, perhaps considering inventing a Canadian lover, his (British?) parents waving from the beach, cone in hand. You can just see the noogies coming, can’t you? But then, a twist, and a Chet suddenly has sausage lips. Thoughtful, evocative writing from Jones here. Next two: