The River You Touch with Chris Dombrowski

by Swanson

“You won’t soon read a more beautiful book, nor one so earthy, wise, delicious, and alive. This is not a book about fish or rivers or Montana or parenting. This is a book, to paraphrase another poet, plain and simple, to break open the frozen sea within.”

—Rick Bass

I have been waiting years to have this conversation with author, poet, and fly-fishing guide Chris Dombrowski. There is a kinship I feel with Chris’s lens on life. He is a top-shelf writer to boot.

The River You Touch: Making a Life on Moving Water comes out October 11th, 2022. I have read it and pre-ordered multiple copies for friends and family. If you are a longtime listener, you know I do not ever do a hard sell. Buy this book for yourself. And another for any friend who seeks to live a mindful and creative life in the throes of responsibility to family, self, community, and a little plot of land on the planet. Published by the fine folks at Milkweed Editions, they will ship The River You Touch for free when your order from milkweed.org before October 11th, 2022.

Alright, I am getting off my soapbox. 

Chris Dombrowski is a poet, author, teacher, and fly-fishing guide. His nonfiction debut, Body of Water: A Sage, A Seeker, and the World’s Most Alluring Fish (Milkweed Editions, 2016), was hailed in The New York Times Book Review and drew comparisons to Gary Snyder and John McPhee in the Wall Street Journal; and Orion magazine called it “a spiritual memoir in the tradition of Annie Dillard’s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek“. I loved Body of Water and I think Dombrowski’s latest book, The River You Touch is even better. It runs its hands through the currents of place, vocation, creativity, and community. In our conversation Chris and I talk about parenting, the calling of a place, poetry of children, accepting the complex humanity of mentors, and the intricacies of sparkling water. 

Buy this book. You will reread it and gift it to those who understand that “in a life properly lived, you are a river”*. 

Visit Chris’s website at cdombrowski.com to keep tabs on his work in the world
Follow Chris on social media: @dombrowski_chris

Previous Contemplify episodes with Chris Dombrowski:

Episode Show Notes

Books by Chris Dombrowski

Resources & People Mentioned

Drink Recommendation

  • Topo Chico Sparkling Water

Photo respectfully pulled from Milkweed Editions
*a quote respectfully pulled from Jim Harrison