Uncover the currents of memory
The water carries stories—of resilience, loss, and survival, of those who live at its edges. Like the river, we are shaped by what we carry.
Recent Quick Dispatches
Short dispatches from the river and beyond
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A Cool Swim in a Dry River
Jeremiah and I hiked the 3 miles in the noonday sun through the wastelands for a refreshing swim in the cool desert waters of the Little Colorado River. Worth every minute. Quoth Jeremiah: “It seemed a little bluer on the map.”
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Truck Breakdown
2011 Ford F-250 Super Duty6.7L Power Stroke V8 Turbo DieselFailure: Fuel rail pressure sensor (approx. 1”x1”x2”)Symptom: External diesel leak through vertical housing crackPressure loss: Low-side return circuitECM response: Fuel pressure fault triggered, dash warning activeConditions: 96°F ambient, sustained 60 MPH, towing 7000 lb loadLeak vector: Direct ejection from sensor body, not injector or return fittingMitigation:…
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Bumpy Roads and Inproper Tongue Weight
Bumpy roads, a bit of wind, a shantyboat trailer with incorrect tongue weight all mean our terror index hovers around 7.
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Hitched, patched, tightened, checked, finishing touches
Hitched, patched, tightened, checked (twice). This morning, finishing touches—preventative maintenance, last coats of paint, wiring tweaks, and the eternal mystery of the trailer lights. Dotty’s hooked up and ready to roll. Next stop: 1500 miles of asphalt, diners, potholes, and prayer.
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It Takes A Lot of Lists
It takes a lot of lists to make a shantyboat. Final repairs done (enough). Gear stowed (mostly). Spirits cautiously upright. This morning we set out on the first leg: three days of terrifying road travel with a stubborn boat in tow. Thanks to everyone who got us this far. Your support, messages, and general belief…
Step Aboard and Drift into the Story
What stories does the river hold? Who calls it home? How do we navigate change, memory, and belonging on the water? Step aboard our floating archive and explore the histories, people, and places that make up this journey.
Recent Field Reports
Longer reports from the field
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First miles, first mishaps
We launched. Not on water yet, but we hit the road—and that’s no small thing. The past week was a blur of last-minute repairs, packing lists, untested gear, late-night epoxy sessions, and frantic repainting. There was preventative maintenance and finishing touches, but also some real “hold-your-breath-and-hope” fixes. You know: the fun stuff. We never got…
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Every River Has a Story. Tell Us Yours.
Peoples River Stories is a participatory new media project, a web-based map where anyone can drop a pin and share a memory, confession, observation, dream, or historical fragment about a river they know. It expands the world of Secret History beyond our shantyboat and beyond U.S. borders—inviting people everywhere to claim space for their own…
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Shantyboat Dotty Fleeing Fires
During the California fires we had to flee our home with the Shantyboat Dotty in tow. We made safe camp in a field with neighbors where we created a temporary compound for four adults, one toddler, two dogs, and two kittens.
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The Seven Wonders of Portsmouth
Post by honorary shipmate Andrew Feight Shanty Dotty on the Ohio, tied up at the Anchor Pad in Portsmouth, Ohio (18 July 2019). Earlier this week I had the pleasure of sitting for an interview with Wes Modes. Funded with a grant from the Ohio Humanities Council, Wes and his two shipmates (production assistants) are…
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Secret History at Santa Cruz Ebb & Flow
Thanks to friends who hung out with us and sent us photos of the shantyboat at Ebb & Flow River Arts Festival at the Tannery in Santa Cruz. Ebb & Flow River Arts Festival is a celebration of our local San Lorenzo River and brings together artists from all over the county. The work of…
Follow the River to Its Deeper Currents
What draws us back to the river, year after year? How does the project challenge dominant history? How do river communities respond to change? Explore the deeper ideas that shape our journey.
Meet Our Interviewees
Conversations with people who live and work on the river
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Remembering Betty Goins
Remembering Betty Goins who passed away yesterday. We had the immense pleasure to interview Betty in Knoxville, Tennessee in 2016.
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On a beautiful sunny morning, I interviewed Paul Hassfurder
On a beautiful sunny morning this week after a day and night of thundershowers, I felt honored to interviewed Paul Hassfurder who lives at Payne Hollow. Paul worked with artist and writer Harlan Hubbard at the house for nearly a decade before his death in 1988 at age 88. Paul talked to me about Harlan…
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Interviewing Paul Hassfurder at Payne Hollow surrounded by butterflies
Interviewing Paul Hassfurder at Payne Hollow surrounded by butterflies. #ohioriver #paynehollow #interview #harlanhubbard #harlanandannahubbard #butterfly
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Good homes will be furnished these helpless children
While we were in new Richmond, Ohio, I interviewed Beth Dearwester who told me about several generations of her family who lived aboard a shantyboat in a shantytown at the mouth of Mill Creek in Cincinnati and were considered disreputable riffraff, occasionally charged with fighting, petty theft, and “loitering.” It was common place for children…
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The Seven Wonders of Portsmouth
Post by honorary shipmate Andrew Feight Shanty Dotty on the Ohio, tied up at the Anchor Pad in Portsmouth, Ohio (18 July 2019). Earlier this week I had the pleasure of sitting for an interview with Wes Modes. Funded with a grant from the Ohio Humanities Council, Wes and his two shipmates (production assistants) are…
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The sprawling discussion with Andrew Feight, professor of history at Shawnee State
I had a chance to interview Andrew Feight, professor of history at Shawnee State University. We had a sprawling discussion about the nature of history, who gets to tell it, and whose history gets told. We also talked about Portsmouth history, its role in the Underground Railroad, labor history, and integration, the Shawnee people who…
Trace the Currents of Our Journey
Where did we go? What did we find along the way? Explore interactive maps from our river expeditions and road trips, with every dispatch mapped along the route.
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Got a memory, myth, or moment tied to a river anywhere on Earth? Pin it to our community-driven map to share river memories, histories, and reflections along the world’s waterways.