A River Runs Through It

[Papasequoia]

I originally saw this article on FB and shared it, but forgot to put it here. Now Midcurrent has picked it up and it reminded me. Anyway, an interview with Norman Maclean who wrote (among other things) the book that the film is based on was recently re-published. It is a really great piece of writing about a great book and author - I highly recommend reading it when you have a few minutes. It was originally published in Esquire in 1981 and was just re-published by The Daily Beast.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/03/23/the-stacks-pete-dexter-s-indelible-portrait-of-author-norman-maclean.html

[WanderingBlues]

Man, you just get the sense that Norman was connected and in tune.

[acorad]

* I need to read that book again.

[darrin terry]

Good stuff, Jon. I usually watch the movie at least once/year but it's been a couple years now. Probably been 3-4 years since I read the book last. Thanks.

[BrownBear]

The book and fly fishing aside, the article is about as good as it gets in bio writing. You don't have to know a thing about fly fishing or read the book to know Norman Maclean. And wish you had counted him among your lifetime friends.

[ldr]

Thanks for that.

[briansII]

That Dexter fella knocked one outta the park.

brainsII

[Bernard]

Wonderful post. Thanks for sharing. I need to read this carefully. * I may print it out!

I sometimes feel that I am the last guy to have a connection with Norm but having visited the region in Montana where he lived and even meeting Bud Moore shortly before he died, and last but not least - having had amazing experiences meeting folks in Montana of both older and newer generations - It all resonates deeply now. * Much of this courtesy of a fellow board member who has deep roots up there.

The movie starts to fade and it becomes the books and the lore of the wilderness and the relationship we have with it. For a totally different feel, read Young Men and Fire. It not one bit like ARRTI but a captivating read nonetheless.

Thanks again for the post!
B.

[lucfish]

That was some good stuff.

[Jimbo Roberts]

The Mann Gulch fire tells you a lot about the men who fight forest fires.
It is famous because of the speed and intensity of the fire which accelerated up the valley. The leader saw it coming. They were trapped up a box canyon. He realized their situation, told his men to dig in and deploy their shelters. But the fire was coming fast. Most of the ones who died panicked, didn't listen to their Boss, and tried to make it over the top of the ridge. None of those guys made it.
If you've never seen a forest fire up close you have no idea of the fear that shoots through you. One year we were in New Mexico. We drove up to an observatory near Cloudcroft. We passed a camp ground there. We spent a couple of hours up there looking at White Sands. We notice some smoke coming from down the only road in or out. We started to drive back down, but by that time the flames were a 100 feet in the air. We were trapped. WWII TBF's started making passes dropping their pink mud on the fire. For a couple of hours the fire was winning. We were pushed back up the road back towards the obsevatory with several other families. The fire was coming up the mountain at us. The wind pushed the smoke into our faces. We were chased all the way back to the observatory parking lot. Finally they were able to keep the fire back from the road. Forest rangers came up and told us this was our chance to make a run for it. We drove like mad back down the road for at least a mile, probably more, with flames on both sides of the road. I was scared as H### !!!!!

Jimbo