Sunday, November 8, 2020

Taking a Boat Across America: A Lifetime Voyage Full of Imagery, Insight...


Chronologically, "River-Horse" (1999) was the most recently-read book by William Least Heat-Moon.  I so enjoyed and was immersed by "PrairyErth" (1991), that I dreaded finishing it.  In an odd way, I was almost afraid of reading "River-Horse", as I feared that I would be tempted to try spending more time in boats.  (I am not afraid of being in a boat, but I prefer dry land, instead.)  One exception I might make would be a river cruise on the Columbia and/or Snake Rivers to get a closer look at the Flood Basalts in Washington and Idaho.

Partially due to inner-ear problems, swimming is difficult for me and I have taken on the persona of being a "mountains and desert person", rather than wanting to go to the beach, except on sporadic occasions when family members want to go.  When I do go, I enjoy the opportunity for engaging in the photography of beach features, the flora, and the fauna, rather than being in the water.

I avoided buying "River-Horse" through Liberty Books, in Lawrenceville, Georgia.  But one day, I was walking through the Nonfiction aisle in our local used bookstore (a few miles east of Lawrenceville) and a
s fate would have it, there it was on the shelf.  I figured that was a sign that I was destined to read it.  On an enjoyment scale, it was not quite equal to "PrairyErth" or "Blue Highways", but it was good and I was glad to have read it.

If you are still quarantined or more-or-less so, consider some reading of William Least Heat-Moon books.  And turn off the damned TV for a while.

No comments:

Post a Comment