River teeth

the long version

In River Teeth, Duncan brings us stories of indelible characters: a solitary woman struggling to corral a flock of idiot sheep; a young girl who creates a strange fairytale that shatters her parents' love; a modern-day prophet waging war against all who would blaspheme his sacred river. Interwoven with these tales are epiphanies from Duncan's own life, pieces he calls "river teeth," which resonate with the power and longing of memory. The phrase "river teeth" refers to the remains of old-growth trees that fall into Northwestern rivers and are sculpted by the water. In Duncan's rich metaphor, time is the river, trees are our experiences, and "river teeth" are the memories of our experiences shaped by the river of time. The stories and the "river teeth" inform and strengthen each other, allowing Duncan to create a complex and wondrous meditation on love, loss, passion, and, of course, flyfishing.