Not many reporters have made Sasquatch their journalistic focus, and that’s understandable. Bigfoot is a topic rarely taken seriously, and there exists a pervasive fear that merely entertaining the idea of Bigfoot could besmirch a person’s good name. And I totally get it. Some people should probably be worried, even terrified of the career repercussions associated with covering the subject.
Fortunately for you, I, Krissy Eliot—am a notoriously different breed.
To totally brag, my first foray into journalism was writing a kink column for the San Francisco Bay Guardian, so my reputation is pretty untouchable. My byline is plastered on stories about orgasmic meditation, weed lube and “explosive sexual healing.” As far as I’m concerned, I could write about anything and it would never be as damning or perturbing. (Even Bigfoot isn’t wilder than a Bay Area sex freak.)
I’ve done almost everything that my mother (and many editors) have considered wrong for my career. Yet somehow, I continue to write for respectable magazines and newspapers covering all matter of things, from mind-controlling fly fungus to the plight of the peregrine. I guess I get off on being the exception! And I’m grateful for every person out there who enjoys reading the work of the exceptional. (Are you one of these people? I hope you are.)
So, with my notoriety safely intact and not a shred of dignity to lose, I’ve pursued the topic of Sasquatch with gusto! For the last six months, I’ve been up to my eyes in the evidence, sightings, and enigmatic lore that’s kept this legendary monster alive (at least in our minds) for centuries—and I’ve grown obsessed.
Earlier this year, I wrote a series of articles on Sasquatch. The first was a two-part profile on the original “Bigfoot scientist” Grover Krantz (who was born 87 years ago today!!!) and two other pieces—one covering why people believe in Sasquatch, and another discussing how some academics say science might actually benefit from Bigfoot research. The articles got such a positive response that I’ve been urged by many to make this my new journalistic focus.
And I intend to.
I’ve decided to devote a piece of my life to the Sasquatch subject, thinking of it less as a career choice and more as a calling—you know, like becoming a missionary or a vampire slayer. (Say it with me, Buffy fans: “In every generation, there is a chosen one…”)
On this blog, I’ll be writing about Sasquatch and the people who search for the creature, with the intention of using my research for a Bigfoot book. I also plan to cover other perplexing, controversial topics that capture my fancy, like maybe aliens, Satanism, or the human male (like, why are boyz so weird?!).
Next week, I’ll be posting about what it’s been like thus far to report seriously on Sasquatch. I’ll share my personal experiences, as well as those of veteran journalist Laura Krantz, former editor and producer at NPR and the creator of the new hit Sasquatch podcast Wild Thing. After speaking with her, I found that while both of us faced an outpouring of support for our Bigfoot-related research, we also had to deal with animosity—from potential sources straight up ignoring Krantz to people telling me to go fuck myself. (Journalism is a glamorous job, really.) Check back for that upcoming story.
Anyway, I don’t know much about the art of blogging, so I’m hoping this first post will suffice. My dream is that it will whet your appetite for my writing to come and leave you feeling enthusiastic about exploring subjects both magnificent and unknown. Or at the very least, I hope you don’t regret scanning it halfheartedly… before switching over to Instagram to watch five-year-old videos of the Ice Bucket Challenge while pooping.
Love,
Krissy
