The Way of the River is a collection of memoirs and autobiographical stories that reflect Randy Kadish's long journey of fly fishing and spiritual recovery. The journey, often difficult, often gratifying, began when he finally admitted to himself that he couldn't communicate, and that his life had become unmanageable. Then, after he asked for help, he looked back into his life and relived the deep pain and loss that began during his very traumatic childhood. To soothe himself with the beauty of the outdoors, he turned to fishing. As he struggled to come to terms with his past, and then with the loss of his parents, he wrote about his journey of recovery, especially of how he was made better by many of the people he met along the way, like Carlos, an immigrant and pier fisherman who seemingly appeared out of nowhere, and then helped Randy see people in a more sympathetic light. (Soon Randy's memoirs appeared in many publications including, The FlyFisher, FlyFishing & Tying Journal, and Yale Anglers' Journal.) Finally, after an unexpected crisis, he found a surprising way to forgive and to connect to the good in the world. The fishing in this collection takes place in and near New York City, including the streams of Westchester, the East and Hudson Rivers, and the lakes of Central and Prospect Parks.
About the Author: I'm a native New Yorker. After a good deal of disappointment, I gave up writing. Then my mother passed away, and I found that fishing helped ease my grief. Almost accidently, I wrote and sold a fishing article. Afterwards, my articles and memoirs appeared in many publications, including The Flyfisher, Flyfishing & Tying Journal and Yale Anglers' Journal. To me, much of my writing is about coming to terms with loss, and with a world I can't always understand. In a sense, my writing is autobiographical, as it reflects my own gratifying, but at times, difficult journey of emotional and spiritual recovery. On the long road of my journey, I slowly learned that, even when I don't have answers, I must strive to find forgiveness and self-worth and to connect to the good and the beautiful in the world. (This is how I define spirituality.) I therefore love books where the main characters struggle against inner and outer conflicts and then try to do good.