About Me
Tributaries: Essays from Woods & Waters
Tributaries: Essays from Woods & Waters, Brod's debut, is a collection of contemporary outdoor narratives exploring the line between passion and obsession. Through the lens of a late-30-something, Tributaries explores the complex, evolving relationships between fathers and sons, between fishing buddies, between anglers and guides, and between outdoorspeople and the landscapes they cherish. From pine-encroached rivers of Maine’s Aroostook County, to the turquoise flats of Florida Bay, Tributaries draws unexpected parallels between places, investigating the ways in which landscapes impact our lives and relationships. Rendered in vivid detail, Tributaries examines tension between presence and memory, illuminating fleeting yet transcendent moments that stay with us forever.
Advance Praise for Tributaries
"Ryan Brod has performed a magic trick with this excellent collection, combining an old-school heart with a contemporary head. The stories in Tributaries beautifully capture the thrill, the poignancy and the magic of a life centered on the woods and water."
–Monte Burke, author of Lords of the Fly and Saban
Hunting and fishing exude a power source ultimately challenging you beyond measure, ensuring you’ll remain resilient and forever young. In Tributaries: Essays from Woods and Waters, Ryan Brod shares his vast spectrum of a wonderful life well-lived.”
-Andy Mill, Olympian, Champion fly-fisherman, author of A Passion for Tarpon
Brod's passion and respect for the creatures, their habitat and dignity, infuse each page with his lyrical prose. Luxuriant with detail, these essays usher the reader toward the intersection of flora, fauna, family, and friendship. Ultimately, Tributaries leaves us with a deeper awareness of our own personal ecosystems.
-Catharine Murray, author of Now You See the Sky
Order a copy! https://backcovebooks.com/item/SDumxb94b1tU7nxyHBirog
About
Ryan Brod's essays, profiles, and criticism have appeared in River Teeth: A Journal of Nonfiction Narrative, Tahoma Literary Review, The Maine Review, The Learned Pig, and Gray's Sporting Journal, among many other places. He's a senior contributor for The Drake magazine and he's written copy for outdoor companies such as Duck Camp. A fly-fishing guide, avid angler, fly tier, tarpon junkie, freelance editor, and educator, he teaches first-year writing and creative nonfiction at University of New England. He grew up in Smithfield, Maine and lives in the original Portland.
Services
Ryan is available for manuscript critique, MFA application review, book club visits, as well as reading and speaking engagements.
Contact him for freelance writing or editing assignments.
Ryan is a Registered Maine fishing guide and professional fly-tier. Email him to inquire about booking a fishing trip, or ordering custom flies for tarpon, snook, redfish, striper, carp, or muskie.
Email: brody3112@gmail.com
Focus
Brod's writing is often a place-based investigation of the intersections between landscape and character. He grew up exploring the woods and waterways of central and western Maine. His father was a part-time fishing guide and avid hunter who encouraged him to find his own path outdoors. His work explores the evolution of outdoor-based relationships and the ways in which natural places imprint our memory.