Book Review: Brendan Shay Basham

By ANNA BYUN and JINMIN LEE

On Friday, Oct. 20, Brendan Shay Basham, poet and author of “Swim Home to the Vanished,” visited the Academy’s campus. He spoke to all students and faculty about his newest book and his journey as a writer and afterward held a Q&A lunch in the Elting Room. Basham was also available to readers the previous night at Water Street Bookstore, just steps away from Exeter’s campus. 

Basham’s work has appeared in Puerto del Sol, Santa Fe Literary Review, Yellow Medicine Review and Juked, among other publications. He is a recipient of Poetry Northwest’s inaugural James Welch Prize for Indigenous Writers and a recipient of fellowships from the Truman Capote Trust, Writing By Writers and Tin House. Currently, Basham is a fiction faculty member at the University of Nevada, Reno Lake Tahoe’s Creative Writing Master of Fine Arts Program.

Over the first few weeks of the fall term, students in lower, upper and senior English classes gathered around the Harkness table to discuss Basham’s newest book, “Swim Home to the Vanished,” published in August 2023. In the book, Damien, a young man, grapples with the loss of his younger brother Kai. Throughout his journey, he discovers the process of overcoming grief and persevering despite the unbearable heartache from the loss of a family member.

Furthermore, Basham alludes to stories of the Navajo Nation, a Native American people of the Southwest. He weaves in the unfaltering burden felt by generations from the forced removal of the Navajo — and thus his ancestors — from their land. Otherwise known as the Long Walk, Basham uses the loss experienced by his ancestors to explore the human capacity for grief and perseverance and the long-term effects such nostalgia has on one’s spirit. 

In “Swim Home to the Vanished,” Damien, a restaurant chef wracked by grief at the unexpected loss of his brother and the disappearance of his parents, quits his job and wanders on a journey that will transport him to a place even more distraught than the one he lives in now. He aimlessly travels through the mountains and arrives at a mystical sea village, where he throws himself into the ever-changing dynamic of three women — Ana María and her two daughters, Paola and Marta. Damian shows up while the village — and family —  grieve the loss of their beloved friend, daughter, and sibling, Carla. 

Though supposed to be a time of support and love, he soon finds himself in the crossfire of the sister’s accusations, painting their mother as Carla’s murderer. Damien falls under Ana María’s charismatic spell and doubts that such a generous woman would ever do something like that. Subsequently, Marta attempts to manipulate him into her scheme against her despised mother, who, though feared by the village, is well-respected due to her ability to maintain the fish supply in the waters. The fight between the three women reflects in a growing hurricane that threatens to wipe the whole village out to sea. 

Speaking in front of the Academy’s nearly 1,200 students, Basham put forth his mindset that, in life, people are always revisiting and reshaping their narratives. He claimed that life is like a large body of water that people must reshape but never attempt to control. This stance fits in with this viewpoint on grief because, in the story, Marta’s manipulative and controlling way of dealing with her sorrows led to the destruction of her family and village. This contrasts how Basham presented Damien’s comparatively neutral stance on grief in a positive light. 

Within the Academy community, students shared contrasting responses regarding whether they would have continued the book if it was not assigned. Most agreed it was a challenging read. Lower Olivia Zhang shared “If you had asked me this within the first five chapters I would have said no. However, I ended up becoming really engaged in the plot, and definitely would have continued.” 

Similarly, upper Hazel Mutindwa added “I wouldn’t have continued ‘Swim Home to the Vanished,’ though as [my class] read on, our Harkness conversations opened up the book in a way it wouldn’t have if I read by myself. My class brought in so many different perspectives and viewpoints, so though [the book] was a challenge, the many ideas kept me engaged.” 

While some students fell in love with the book, others shared a very different experience. “I probably would not have continued the book,” upper Charles Clavel said. “I felt that some of the ideas and metaphors were too far-fetched, so it was difficult to follow.”

Many students felt that “Swim Home to the Vanished” did not put forth a clear-cut plot. This vagueness presented an opportunity for students to interpret the text in different ways. 

Upper Laura Saldarriaga said, “Although this book was very challenging, we really grew as readers in this class” because it encouraged students “to look past the logical Exeter part of [the] brain and start to think of the text through a different lens.” Saldarriaga liked that “In [her] class, [students] talked about [their] relationship with the text.” 

“The symbolism was not rigid but instead for the reader to interpret and use in constructing the story,” upper Dhruv Reddy said. The slightly vague plot and symbolism helped to create a more personal connection with the book. 

Clavel concurred, saying, “I think that having such a confusing book with so many symbols and metaphors made Harkness discussions much more interesting and fruitful.” 

Mutindwa also shared this appreciation for close reading, saying that,“[The book] really forced me to think about every single word.”

Looking forward, many students voiced their thoughts on whether the book should be taught again next year. Some students encouraged the English Department to teach this book again in the following years but only if Basham could visit again. Readers agreed that the experience only felt complete with Basham’s speech and Q&A session.

“I think it was very valuable that Basham was able to come, and that we were able to ask him questions,” said Saldarriaga.

Reddy, who attended the session at the Elting Room and “asked a question about the relevance of bees in his story,” was also able to confirm his own interpretations of the book by talking directly with Basham. 

Saldarriaga concluded with whether she personally would recommend the book. “I’m not sure. I think it’s a pretty good book, and there’s definitely a lot to unpack and to discuss. I definitely developed skills in Harkness that I didn’t have before, since it was so different from other books we’d discussed in my other classes. However, I think it was very valuable that Shay Basham was able to come, and that we were able to ask him questions. It’s an experience I would definitely recommend,” she said.