Stepping Twice into the River [Paperback]

Robert King (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 30, 2005

Robert King's close-reading of the Sheyenne River, a travel narrative told as the author walks and canoes from the headwaters to the river's end, reflecting on the natural and human histories of this prairie waterway.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

King undertakes a classic river journey, not in a land exotic to him but in North Dakota, his longtime home. And instead of traveling a fabled river, he follows the meandering Sheyenne, an "intermittent," even "ephemeral," waterway that threads across glacier-carved terrain that feels, as King notes in his low-key yet resonant way, remote even "when you're in the midst of it." His journey across the sparsely populated prairie inspires musings on why North Dakota's population is decreasing, and forays into little-known corners of the region's somber history. As he ponders the struggles of homesteaders and the cruel war waged against Native Americans, he captures the aura of a profoundly elemental place afflicted by both drought and flood. Although he's thwarted in his plan to canoe on the Sheyenne when he finds after a few days that more portage than paddling is involved, King absorbs "the silence of the open land and mute river," and acquires fresh understanding of the North Dakotan character, the life of a modest river, and the nature of change. Donna Seaman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Robert King's poems, short fiction, and essays have appeared in numerous journals and magazines, including The Missouri Review, South Dakota Review, and Weber Studies. He has published five chapbooks and is the winner of the National Writer's Union Prize for Poetry in 2000. He lives in Greeley, Colorado.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: University Press of Colorado; First edition edition (March 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870817922
• ISBN-13: 978-0870817922
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,718,886 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Gift I Gave, May 8, 2008

By 

Girl w/ Dog (Las Vegas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stepping Twice into the River (Paperback)

I gave this book as a gift to my husband who is from the area. As he was reading it he constantly came and told me about places the author was talking about, and how we need to go and explore some areas.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars classic travel book: deep, accurate and heart felt, May 28, 2008

By 

David Sayer (Longmont, Colorado) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Stepping Twice into the River (Paperback)

John King, as a retired English Professor, wrote here a classic gem of a travel book. It blends his deep reading and understanding of the geology and history of a seemingly drab and neglected region while slowly traveling the length of the Sheyenne River in North Dakota. He provides accurate observations and interesting encounters with natives not always at their best. With his heartfelt fondness for the region and sadness over the inexorable depopulation hitting this area as with the entire North American center he philosophizes on the greater things touching all mortals struggling to live fully awake on earth. He ends his reflections often on ironic tones of ambiguity which as a reader you will find yourself looking forward to and smiling inwardly. As a conscientious teacher of English and poet he exhibits outstanding literary craftsmanship, invoking spot-on local odd little speech inflections and word choices. Since I'm from the area I know I'll be returning often to this book to review his geological and historical understandings - outshining much larger and boring volumes. People not from this area can learn about a real trip down a small North Dakota river; but even more, all can learn how a classic travel book should be crafted. You will never believe the surprise ending!