David James Duncan

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born

in Portland, OR, The United States

January 01, 1952

gender

male

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David James Duncan (born 1952) is an American novelist and essayist, best known for his two bestselling novels, The River Why (1983) and The Brothers K (1992). Both involve fly fishing, baseball, and family.

Both received the Pacific Northwest Booksellers award; The Brothers K was a New York Times Notable Book in 1992 and won a Best Books Award from the American Library Association.

Film adaptation
In 2008, The River Why was adapted into a "low-budget film" of the same name starring William Hurt and Amber Heard. Since April 30, 2008, the film rights to The River Why have become the subject of a lawsuit by Duncan alleging copyright infringement, among other issues.

Other works
Duncan has written a collection of short stories, River Teeth (1996),...more

13 posts
David James Duncan's Blog

David James Duncan isn't a Goodreads Author (yet), but he does have a blog, so here are some recent posts imported from his feed.

Whitefish Review Hosts Duncan for “The Wild Issue”

Whitefish Review Hosts Author David James Duncan for Release of “The Wild Issue” on June 2, 2012

Duncan is joined by author Brooke Williams, poets Lois Neal Brown, Max Hjortsberg, Ron McFarland, and Meliss Clark, plus 13-year-old first time author, Sarah Ward

Author David James Duncan will headline a reading for the launch of Whitefish Review issue #11–”The Wild Issue”–on June 2, 2012 at The L...

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Published on May 23, 2012 14:39 • 52 views

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David James Duncan's Books

Average rating: 4.30 · 12,670 ratings · 1,731 reviews · 10 distinct works · Similar authors

	The Brothers K 4.42 of 5 stars 4.42 avg rating — 6,268 ratings — published 1992 — 13 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The River Why 4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 avg rating — 4,748 ratings — published 1983 — 15 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	River Teeth 3.96 of 5 stars 3.96 avg rating — 823 ratings — published 1995 — 3 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	My Story as told by Water: Confessions, Druidic rants, reflections, bird-watchings, fish-stalkings, visions, songs and prayers refracting light, from living rivers, in the age of the industrial dark 4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 avg rating — 422 ratings — published 2001 — 2 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	God Laughs & Plays: Churchless Sermons in Response to the Preachments of the Fundamentalist Right 4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 avg rating — 334 ratings — 3 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Heart of the Monster: Why the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies Must Not Become an ExxonMobil Conduit to the Alberta Tar Sands by David James Duncan, Rick Bass, Frederic Ohringer 3.23 of 5 stars 3.23 avg rating — 13 ratings — published 2010	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The New Pub League Quiz Book 0.0 of 5 stars 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	His Child, Her Dad 0.0 of 5 stars 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2000	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Citizens Dissent: Security, Morality, and Leadership in an Age of Terror by Wendell Berry, David James Duncan 4.12 of 5 stars 4.12 avg rating — 49 ratings	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Rapture of the Deep: The Art of Ray Troll by Ray Troll, David James Duncan, Bradford Matsen (Introduction) 4.1 of 5 stars 4.10 avg rating — 10 ratings — published 2004 — 2 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Quotes by David James Duncan

“Anyone too undisciplined, too self-righteous or too self-centered to live in the world as it is has a tendency to idealize a world which ought to be. But no matter what political or religious direction such idealists choose, their visions always share one telling characteristic: in their utopias, heavens or brave new worlds, their greatest personal weakness suddenly appears to be a strength.”
― David James Duncan, The Brothers K

33 people liked it

“We hear nothing so clearly as what comes out of silence. ”
― David James Duncan

tags: reflective

29 people liked it

“[There is a] kind of all-embracing universality evident in Mother Teresa’s prayer: “May God break my heart so completely that the whole world falls in.” Not just fellow nuns, Catholics, Calcuttans, Indians. The whole world. It gives me pause to realize that, were such a prayer said by me and answered by God, I would afterward possess a heart so open that even hate-driven zealots would fall inside... [My] sense of the world as a gift, my sense of a grace operative in this world despite its terrors, propels me to allow the world to open my heart still wider, even if the openness comes by breaking—for I have seen the whole world fall into a few hearts, and nothing has ever struck me as more beautiful.”
― David James Duncan

24 people liked it

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