The Persistence of Rivers: an essay on moving water

by Alison Townsend

Winner of the Jeanne Leiby Prize Alison Townsend shapes the memories within this book like the meditative and meandering rivers that inspired them. The Persistence of Rivers evokes the naturalism of Thoreau and Dillard, yet Townsend’s prose remains masterfully singular in its subject, lyricism, and poignancy. Spanning decades from the 1950s to the present, the book considers the impact of rivers at pivotal moments in Townsend’s life, examining issues of landscape, loss, memory, healing, and the search for home.

80 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 30, 2017

About the author

Alison Townsend teaches English, creative writing and women's studies at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. A walker, hiker, and gardener, she lives with her husband on four acres of prairie and oak savanna in the farm country outside Madison.