Goodbye To A River: A Narrative (2002) - Plot & Excerpts
Among the silver linings of my recent emergency appendectomy is this one: completing the reading of a classic river travelogue from the late John Graves, conducted in 1957 and published in 1960. Then a young man still aiming to slake his literary ambition, Graves had returned from abroad to take care of his ailing father in Texas, and then, some months later, packed a canoe with comestibles and a 6-month-old dachsund to paddle the Brazos River, recollecting, among many other experiences, the lost campfires of his youth spent with a childhood chum and a Robesonian family manservant who'd mastered the art of the outdoor cookout. It was Graves' goal to experience the river once more before a series of five planned water-control projects would dam up the memories forever (owing to Graves' eloquence and the efforts of other Brazos defenders, there would ultimately be just one dam built on this nearly 200-mile stretch of Texas's longest interior river).A deeply intimate portrayal of one man's bond with a riparian habitat and its human history, Graves delves into years of his own reading on Brazos occupation by Native Americans, encroachment from immigrants to the East, and the often-chilling clashes that ensued. He's neither apologetic nor boastful about his colorful ribbon of land. But he's boundlessly curious, weaving his own philosophical musings as a man of letters and medals (degrees from Rice and Columbia, decorations as a wounded World War II veteran in the Pacific, and expatriate ramblings for several years in Europe).What emerges is an uncanny, uncommon voice, with an equally accurate ear for the voice of the contemporary central Texas characters he meets along the Brazos. Recently retired Texas columnist Leon Hale (who himself was unsurpassed as a newspaper columnist in the past 65 years) played a small role in "Goodbye to a River" and was a close friend of Graves. Hale turned his blog over to his wife Babette for a formal eulogy the day after Graves' death, and it was Babette's piece that pulled me into tracking down "Goodbye to a River" from a Texas friend at work, who loaned me his signed copy:http://blog.chron.com/leonhale/2013/08/goodbye-to-a-voice/Here's an excellent obit story on Graves from the Fort-Worth Star-Telegram. "Goodbye to a River" remains in print and is worth tracking down by any means necessary.http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/07/31/5044584/john-graves-author-of-goodbye.html?rh=1A sample of "Goodbye to a River," wherein Graves pulls ashore to meet McKee, an old farmer acquaintance, only to find him missing and to greet the man's wife:"... I hadn't met her before. Standing at the top of the back steps, she said she remembered his speaking of me. She was around fifty, in gingham, with her black hair pulled back on the sides of her head and sun-narrowed eyes — the big-framed, gaunt breed of woman that farmers and ranchers so often pick to mother their sons after they've finished with the pinch-faced pretties of the honkytonks. Sometimes at town gatherings of people I have looked around and wondered what happened to that physical type in the process of urbanization, and then have seen them maybe along the wall, standing round-backed, dressed to deprecate their bulk among the slim-waisted twinkling blondes with Empire hairdos. In the country, they still stand straight, and are prized."
This book has been sitting on my shelf for 15 years, unread. For reasons that escape me, I thought it would be boring and poorly written. And perhaps, at the time I bought it, that would have been true. I attended and worked at the Worth Ranch Boy Scout camp (mentioned in one 2 sentence segment in the book), which is what piqued interest in the book. The curious terrain and copious amount of legend and mythology that area are enough to make anyone become obsessed.It was thoughtfully written, enjoyable, and informative. It reminds me of Steinbeck's "Travels with Charlie". Not surprising, I guess: man travels remote, infrequently travled path with dog, recounting his interactions with locals, throwing in some history and lore, and reflecting on the larger flaws of society. It was written during the same period, too, so the language and tone is surprisingly similar.If the reader did not have experience with Texas, I don't think they would enjoy it quite as much as I did. It should still be on the list of those who like travel books with a relaxed, country feel, before the days that travelogues morphed into whole new beast. A lot of travelogues now have reality show syndrome, trying to one up each other on extremes. This one feels genuine and relaxed. The author seems to be someone who sits in both worlds, with sentimentalities for the old ways of using the land as a resource to be exploited and a conservationist. He expresses his naturist ideals in a way that would appeal to the traditionalist, not in a forceful fashion.A quote on the cover compares the author to Thoreau, and I think it has some merit. Of course, it's been a long time since I read Thoreau. "Walden" is probably one of those books I need to re-read. Overall, it's an enjoyable book, much more so for someone who knows the area he travels through. But it's a great book overall for those who like travelogues and think about the world around them.
What do You think about Goodbye To A River: A Narrative (2002)?
I grew up in Ft. Worth, and I read this book for an English course when I was a student at Texas Christian University. My grandparents had a peach farm a few miles west of Weatherford, and in the summers I spent lots of time helping my grandfather pick fruit. He also was a welder, and he did occasional welding jobs for the sand and gravel works on the Brazos River by the highway bridge just outside of Mineral Wells. He would take me along, and while he was working I would wander along the Brazos River and do some target practicing with my 0.22 rifle. Once I stepped into some quicksand, but I managed to pull myself out. With this background I read "Goodbye To A River" with keen interest, savoring every page. I am a folk singer and singer-songwriter, and every time I sing "The Rivers of Texas" I think of Graves' book. It is one of my all time favorites, and a must for any son or daughter of Texas.
—Lawrence
I'm glad this book was written. Graves grew up paddling/hunting/camping along the Brazos River in Texas. He then went on to travel the world, receive a formal education, and fight in a war before returning home. He was an adult by the 1950s when there were plans in place to dam the river he loved as a child. He decided to take a canoe trip along the river to say goodbye to the places he knew. He was alone except for a dog he simply referred to as "the passenger". The writing style matches the journey. It flows along evenly, then meanders off onto a tributary, stalls out at places. By the end, admittedly, you are feeling a bit tired and gritty and ready to return to city life. His musings are a combination of direct naturalist observations with some insights about environmentalism way ahead of his time, remembrances from his childhood exploring the river, and historical accounts of people who had lived in these places before him. I found it amusing that whenever he told stories of the '60s, for instance, he meant the 1860s. There were stories passed down to him and presumably researched about the Comanches, the original Anglo settlers, etc. What I appreciated was that he shared some personal opinions without being judgmental and without ever being nostalgic to the point of sappiness. Obviously the river is important to him, but he held a realistic acceptance about change and about human nature. There was not necessarily a sentimentality about the "good old days" which in most cases were about violence and deprivation. I appreciated that when he spoke about hunting, especially for sport, he could question the ethics of it and amend his actions but also forgive himself and others. I imagine he was in a rare position to have such intimate, first-hand knowledge of this particular place in time but also the intelligence and expanded world view to put it in context. His voice reminded me of my Great Uncle Beloit who lived on Lake Barkley in Kentucky and was always self-reliant, resourceful, and insightful despite some emotional distance. I think I would have liked Graves had I met him.
—Charlotte
Thoreau with a Texas twang. In the mid-1950s, the author, John Graves, set out on a canoe trip on the Brazos River near where he was born and raised. He set out to see the river and the surrounding countryside and the people who lived there before a series of proposed dams changed the landscape forever. Other than the people he encountered on his shore stops, Graves's only companion was his six-month-old dachshund puppy, whom he refers to as "the passenger," and sometimes as "the pup."Graves's writing is at once lyrical and down to earth, and filled with a dry humor about the unique and unforgettable characters, both present-day (his present-day) and historical, who shaped the land and were shaped by it. It's a delightful narrative, both travelogue and hymn to the natural world. It's also poignant when you remember that the river Graves knew no longer exists. Don Henley of Eagles fame, who is also from Texas and lives there with his wife and kids, was inspired to write his bittersweet and quite beautiful song "Goodbye To a River" after reading Graves's book.
—Kathy Kattenburg
