The gift of rivers : true stories of life on the water /
edited by Pamela Michael.
- 1st ed.
- San Francisco : Berkeley, CA : Travelers' Tales ; Distributed by Publishers Group West, c2000.
- xxx, 272 p. ; 20 cm.
- Travelers' Tales guides .
Includes bibliographical references (p. 249-259) and indexes.
Introduction / Robert Hass -- Preface / Pamela Michael -- pt. I. Going with the flow: Spinning down the river / John Calderazzo (Hillsborough River, USA -- A room on a river / Jan Morris (Nile River, Egypt) -- Northwest passage / David James Duncan (Columbia River, USA) -- River rising / Wendell Berry (Kentucky River, USA) -- The Amazon queen / Isabel Allende (Amazon River, Brazil) -- Vessel of last resort / Jeffrey Tayler (Congo River, Congo) -- River of light / Mort Rosenblum (Seine River, France) -- A gathering of river rats / John Madson (Mississippi River, USA) -- pt. II. Against the current: Time bandits / Richard Bangs (Colorado River, USA) -- Grabbing the loops / David Quammen (Futaleufu River, Chile) -- Yangtze goddesses / Simon Winchester (Yangtze River, China) -- Rafters in the mist / Germaine W. Shames (Rio Upano, Ecuador) -- Swiss squeeze / Pamela Michael (En river, Switzerland) -- River and road / Kim Stafford (Siuslaw River, USA) -- The song of the Bio Bio / Michael Shapiro (Bio Bio River, Chile) -- What my father told me / Michael Delp (Two-Hearted River, USA) -- pt. III. Streams of consciousness: Waiting out the Platte / Cara Blessley (Platte River, USA) -- The magic of the river Soča / Dr. Franjo Zdravič (Soča River, Slovenia) -- Headwaters / Rebecca Lawton (Missouri River, USA) -- River of hope / Lori Udall (Narmada River, India) -- Drought / Barry Lopez (USA) -- River towns / William Least Heat-Moon (Mississippi River, USA) -- pt. IV. Still water: Baptism / Lorian Hemingway (Arkansas River, USA) -- Sacred river / Roger Housden (Ganges River, India) -- Anchors / Ted Lesson (Northwest Rivers, USA) -- A step in the river / Chris Offutt (Iowa River, USA) -- Recommended reading -- River organizations.
Rushing, rolling, flowing -- rivers provide the ultimate metaphor for movement. They carve borders, create livelihoods, provoke adventure, and offer healing. From white-knuckle rafting rides to fishing stories to eco-essays, this collection by top authors explores the historical, practical, and spiritual significance of rivers. Contributors to The Gift of Rivers include Isabel Allende, Barry Lopez, Wendell Berry, Jan Morris, William Least Heat-Moon, Richard Bangs, Simon Winchester, and many other distinguished and emerging voices -- all celebrating rivers, literally and symbolically. A thoughtful introduction by former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Hass describes the way in which rivers have fueled the imagination and spawned cultures since the beginning of time.
1885211422 (pbk.) 9781885211422 (pbk.)
Rivers--Anecdotes. Voyages and travels--Anecdotes. Aquatic sports--Anecdotes. Ríos --Anécdotas Viajes--Anécdotas