ADVERTISEMENT
Dream Fishing the Little Spokane
Jeffrey Dunn, author
Rooted in the Little Spokane River drainage, Jeffrey Dunn’s novel Dream Fishing the Little Spokane is as local as it is American. For those who remember Richard Brautigan, this little book is a Trout Fishing in America for the 21st Century.
Meet the legendary Viper Bugloss who inhabits abandoned trailers and preys on campgrounds. Take a road trip with Carl Jung and his mother up the Little Spokane River to find “the split” in consciousness. Go on an erotic journey with Anais Nin to the Waikiki Ranch. Check into the Dream Fishing the Little Spokane Library where forgotten voices come to mind. Eavesdrop on Walt Whitman and Chief Spokane Garry as they wrestle with the material problem that is America. Hang in the slack water with Mister White, a neighboring mountain whitefish who corresponds with the speaker.
Although the fiction does not have the traditional long-form character and plot development, certain themes recur. One concerns the treatment of children. Working class Donny, foster child Finley, and the young Chief Spokane Garry—all exemplify the precarious position of America’s youth. Another concerns the impact of capitalism. Homeless Viper Bugloss, squatter Peamouth, and the middle-aged Chief Spokane Garry—all speak to the effects of burgeoning commodification. Of final concern are crimes against the environment. Dog death by decree, turtle death by pickup, and fish death by shotgun—all point to a callous disregard of anything more than singular self-interest.
Visit Dream Fishing the Little Spokane today. Once you’ve been there and back, America will never again look quite the same.
Reviews
Jack Nisbet, naturalist and writer, author of David Douglas: a Naturalist at Wo
"Dream Fishing is a hoot that goes down easy. I can hear Dunn's voice as if we were walking through the bugloss with that teacher's class from North Carolina, trying to convince them it wasn't all that surreal."