Trout Fishing in America
by Richard Brautigan · first published 1967
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Richard Brautigan's world is one of gentle magic and marvelous laughter, of the incredibly beautiful and the beautifully incredible. Trout Fishing in America is a pseudonym for the miraculous. A journey which begins at the foot of the Benjamin Franklin statue in San Francisco's Washington Square, which wanders through the wonders of America's rural waterways, and which ends, inevitably, with mayonnaise. Funny, wild, and sweet, Trout Fishing in America is an incomparable guidebook to the delights of exploration -- both of land and mind. Richard Brautigan was a literary idol of the 1960s and
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Trout Fishing in America. Brautigan uses his madness for good. An aspiration for my own.
on “Ask HN: What book changed your life in 2020?” ↗…writing for the joy of writing. But the next is making arguments, and I can get all the arguments I want and then some on my iPhone. I do read books twice. But only because they are so good. Brautigan’s Trout Fishing in America most recently. And that was two in a row. So good I gave it away to someone I love. I read Dawkins’ Consciousness Explained in the ‘90’s. I guess that might make me an early adopter of the memes meme…not…
on “Ask HN: What books have you not finished?” ↗It's such a beautiful poem, and it's now making me realise how much of a background influence reading Brautigan's <i>Trout Fishing in America</i> as a kid had on me. Some other short poems from Brautigan here (not really that representative, but fun): https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/richard-brautigan
on “The Complete Text of "All Watched over by Machines of Loving Grace"” ↗Yes, Richard Brautigan's most well-known poem. Brautigan was a poet to the hippie generation. His book "Trout Fishing in America" was everywhere in the late 60's. It's interesting to re-read "All watched over by machines of loving grace" and see how Brautigan anticipated AI, possibly influenced by McLuhan. I don't think Brautigan…
on “Machines of Loving Grace: 100 years of typewriter evolution” ↗must admit, i could never see the attraction. but better to read some poetry rather than none. another american author that seems to have vanished - richard brautigan, of "trout fishing in america" fame.
on “Rod McKuen Was the Bestselling Poet in American History. What Happened? (2022)” ↗