The Message by Richard Brautigan

Smoke Signals

The Message by Richard Brautigan
(An excerpt from Trout Fishing In America, read by Austin Rich)

Last weekend I took a much needed vacation to the mountains of Northern California, outside of Auburn.  It has been a long time since I took a paid vacation, and I wanted nothing more than to go out into the forrest and spend some time drinking whiskey, reading Edgar Rice Burroughs novels, and watching the campfire burn deep into the night.

Needless to say, it was AWESOME.

Of course, being in the state of Jefferson, camping, and attempting to clear my mind of modern life, I was quickly reminded of Richard Brautigan, and this excerpt from his most well-known work.  I have had an affinity for Brautigan and his work for a number of years now, and this is not the first time I’ve taken to reading his work on the radio.  His voice really speaks to me in a number of ways, and he is never really far from my thoughts.  Any chance I can combine radio and his work, you know I’m going to get really excited.

The campfire sounds heard in this episode were recorded on 26 May 2013, at our campsite.  It was the first time I’ve tried to record a fire, and I learned a few things about how to do it properly after the fact.  There are already a number of plans for future trips this summer, and hopefully I can bring you more recordings like this.

Enjoy!