Same time, same station, same coffee table

Few bookstore displays could match the visibility James Prosek's, BR '97, Trout: An Illustrated History attained last week with its appearance on the NBC sitcom Friends. Prosek's 180-page work, an oblong-shaped catalogue of watercolors and histories of North American trout, is spotted on a table at Central Perk in last Thursday's episode, and is examined by Chandler, a lead character on the show. Jennifer McTiernan, CC '99, immediately recognized the Branford senior's accomplishment. "I was sitting in the Calhoun common room," she said, "and I freaked out: `Oh my God, that's James' book!' It's a great visual prop [because] there's this big trout on the cover. The prop person made a good choice."

Trout

The book's television debut comes just as Prosek has negotiated a contract with William Morrow Books for a second work due out in May 1997. The publicity following the publication of Trout, including items in The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, People, and many fishing magazines, drew Prosek to the attention of Rob Weisbach, a young editor in charge of a new imprint, or side publisher, at William Morrow. Weisbach was intrigued by Prosek's relationship with his mentor, an older fisherman named Joe Haines who discovered Prosek fishing illegally near his home in Easton, Connecticut, and has since helped to foster Prosek's interest in fishing. Weisbach suggested a story on Prosek's interaction with Haines, whom Prosek described as "an anomaly" for his ability to live off of the natural resources of the land near his home.

Prosek

The book, tentatively titled Fishing Father, will be what Prosek called a "simple story" and will include about 25 episodes and paintings about his relationship with Haines. He has eight of the episodes written and is working to finish his drafts by December. Prosek also has extensive plans for his work at Yale and a writing career, if, he said, "I can make a living at it." He is considering a book from his senior essay on Izaak Walton, author of the 17th century fishing work The Compleat Angler.

For the moment, Prosek is concentrating on his forthcoming book and reflecting on Trout's renewed celebrity. "It was a definite kick," he said of the Friends appearance, although he himself did not see the episode and must rely on secondhand accounts. "I was watching some sitcoms recently and was looking at all these coffee tables and thinking it would be neat to see [my book] on one of them."