Coyotes Drowning in the Trees

Abstract

These stories follow two related, but separate arcs taking place in the early days of the twentieth century. The first set concerns Annie Edson Taylor, a 60-year-old woman who was the first person to survive going over Niagara Falls in a barrel. These stories explore what drove her to do this, a quest for fame and a kind of immortality. The second set follows Annie’s manager, Tussy, who steals the barrel to make money for himself. He has his own issues with masculinity and struggles with the idea of a changing gender landscape at this time in America, one that forces him to take a backseat to a female daredevil.