Welcome
January 1, 2012
Take a look at my most recent book, “The Everlasting Stream: A True Story of Rabbits, Guns, Friendship and Family,” which is published by Atlantic Monthly Press. It’s about what I, as a devoted city-slicker, learned from being roped into annual rabbit hunting trips with my Kentucky country father-in-law and his lifelong buddies. A documentary based on the book premiered in Fall 2006 on KET, Kentucky’s statewide public television station, and in November 2007 it was shown on PBS stations around the country.
Details about The Everlasting Stream” film
Buy the book or DVD at PBS.org
KET’s brief Q and A with Harrington
Harrington interviewed about “the reported memoir” by Chip Scanlan for Poynter.org
Walt:
I have read your book ” The Everlasting Stream ” and found it to be a wonderful trip back to my boyhood experiences in NJ with my father and uncles hunting rabbit’s stories they would share with me of there experiences on the farm that they were raised on. I plan on handing this book to my son who I have hunted with over the years for him to enjoy as I am sure as much as I have. I only wish that times were the same today as they were back then.
THANK YOU SO MUCH
Dear Walt Harrington,
As a graduate student, I am trying to narrow my focus within the field of literary journalism to write a thesis. I’m wondering if you can help me. What niches within literary journalism studies do you feel need the most attention?
Christel Swasey
Dear Mr. Harrington,
I just finished reading The Everlasting Stream. I am in Boston for 6 weeks of medical treatment and hope to be home in time for the Opening Day of Trout Season in New York State. I live in Syracuse. To my two buddies, my brothers in fly rods, the Opening Day carries a ritualistic weight, in a positive sense , for us: meeting at diners, kibitzing, reminiscing, telling old stories and always waiting for the two other guys we fish with to arrive, who are always late. Thanks for the story. It buoyed me at the beginning of what is to be a difficult time.
Howard Kligerman
Hello Walt!
Just finished reading ‘The Everlasting Stream’ the other day. A friend had seen an on-air interview of you and the old men and suggested the book to me. I’ve been rabbit hunting with a group of friends here in Georgia for over 20 years now and your book resonated with me. I didn’t grow up in a hunting culture (immigrant from the UK) but a friend at church (who we nicknamed Briar Bill for his willingness to stomp through the toughest briar patches) invited me and I was hooked. It wasn’t long before I bought my first shotgun and got my own beagle (from Bill’s pack). Cody, my beagle, turned out to be the leader of the pack when we hunted. He earned the nickname “E.F. Hutton” (remember the commercial? When E.F. Hutton speaks everyone listens…). He would never chase deer and wouldn’t open until he had a rabbit on the run, but boy when he opened, it was always a sure thing and the rest of the dogs would flock to him – what a race would then ensue!
Funny how we develop our own routines (rituals), like breakfast stopping places and so forth. And the retelling of stories – boy, do we ever do that too! Our core group consists of a carpenter, an engineer, a banker and a retired police officer – we’ll usually invite others along too. My son, who was never motivated to hunt with us as a boy or teenager is now an avid hunter and loves to be with us when work permits. We’ve raised other boys in the tradition and it is always a pleasure to see then grow up to be responsible hunters.
Your book reminded me of our many years of hunting in so many ways and made me realize what a rich legacy we have together. Thank you for that and if you ever get down this way during season, be sure to join us!
Regards,
Conrad Beattie
Conrad,
It is truly heartening to read your note and be reminded that this little book seems to have touched a certain kind of man deeply.
Walt
Walt -
Don Ranly just sent me a list of must-read books about writing and editing, and your name jumped off the page. I’m glad to see you’ve done tremendously well since our (few) days together on Dickinson Drive when the three of us tried to perform “surgical journalism without an ax to grind” at the Illinois Observer.
I can see I have a lot of reading to do to catch up with your last 36 years. From all the reviews here in WordPress, it will be enjoyable and time well spent.
Best,
Brad
Brad,
It is great to hear from you! Has it been 36 years since those crazy days putting out the Illinois Observer for $165 a week, no benefits? It was quite a time. Couldn’t have done it without your talent.. Thanks to Don Ranly for hooking us up again.
Walt
Walt thanks so much for your masterpiece, you have touched so many of my friends and myself. I am an avid hunter in Kentucky and can relate to this so much, I am trying to purchase the DVD for some of my friends but i am having trouble doing it through PBS. Do you have any suggetions? Thanks Todd Earlywine ewinefencing@gmail.com
Professor Harrington,
I am not quite sure how it came to pass, but I discovered your book The Everlasting Stream a couple weeks ago. Having hunted and fished for more than 50 years, and having been an amateur naturalist for almost as long, I often have had trouble reconciling the two. On one hand I feed the squirrels, place brushpiles and old Christmas trees out for the rabbits and birdhouses out for, well, whatever wants to use them. Then there is the “hunting”thing.
I have spent the week after Thanksgiving deer hunting with the same two guys for over forty years. Through bouts of medical issues, work, and the normal family events, I have never once in forty years failed to be at the same place and the same time in the woods of southern Ohio the week after Thanksgiving. The thing is, I don’t even want to kill anything anymore and it has been a struggle the last decade to understand why I continue to go.
That is until I read your book. I can only conclude that it was some kind of divine intervention that led me to it. The deep insights into the men and events of your life and your thoughts about the relationship with your father brought so many wonderful thoughts to me. I could ramble on but just allow me to thank you from my very soul for giving the world this wonderful, deeply personal book. It will hold a cherished place in my heart for whatever years the Lord has left for me and I have a new, younger hunting companion who will receive it when I feel the moment is right.
Rick Evans
North Canton, Ohio
Rick,
I’m heartened that The Everlasting Stream is still finding and touching readers. Forty consecutive years hunting with the same friends is something to treasure. Pass the book on to a friend or two.
Walt
Mr. Harrington: Is there a link somewhere to your great Carl Bernstein profile from your days at the Wash Post magazine? I was raving about it to another writer and the writer wants to read it. I have other young folks getting started who’d benefit from reading it. It was tremendous.
The story is included in my book “American Profiles” from the University of Missouri Press, still available on Amazon. Or it can be found for a small fee at Highbeam, where much Post content is available.
I appreciate the kind comments about the story.