The Queen of the Cumberland River
When I traveled south to research fire ants, I discovered a different kind of hive
By Justin Nobel
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2014 anthology featured Nautilus’s story, “Ants Go Marching,” originally published in the “In Transit” issue. For that story, Nautilus had asked writer Justin Nobel to embark on the journey through the American South tracing the footsteps of the ultimate insect traveler — the fire ant. In his quest to watch the pests build their unsinkable rafts and float down the Cumberland River, Nobel got on a riverboat, where, fueled by the vivid ambiance of the South, his imagination ran wild, leading to the story’s narrative.
An article about fire ants can be written easily enough from the comfort of an office, and many have. But to hit the road brings elements unknown into the piece. You never know what you are going to find out there, and it is in that unknown that the best material often arises. I really don’t like to know too much about the topic I am reporting on before I hit the road; I dig in a little, but then I lay off. If I know all the spots to go to before leaving home there wouldn’t be much reason to go. When Nautilus commissioned my “Ants Go Marching” article, I decided to make it into a travel story. The geographic points of interest…
