The River Queen (38 page)

Authors: Mary Morris

BOOK: The River Queen

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A number of books provided important sources and I will just list some of them here.
The Army Corps of Engineers Upper Mississippi River Navigational Charts, Quimby's 2005 Cruising Guide,
and the fine
River Event Planner: Boating and Travel Guide
all provided excellent maps, marina and nautical information, and travel materials. Books I came to cherish included
Rising Tides
by J. M. Barry,
Old Glory
by Jonathan Raban,
La Salle and the Discovery of the Great West
by Francis Parkman,
Upper Mississippi River History
by Captain Ron Larson,
Jazz on the River
by William Howland Kenney, and of course the writings of Mark Twain.

Several people along the river shared with me their knowledge and offered their assistance, including Assistant Lockmaster Bill Stute from Genoa Lock and Dam 8, Iris Nelson from the Quincy Public Library, and Henry Sweets from the Mark Twain Museum in Hannibal, and I am grateful to the many people on the river who shared with me their stories and experiences of life on the Mississippi.

And, finally, to the “Whale Kisser,” my daughter, Kate, who asked to read the manuscript and gave me some of the smartest, most thoughtful comments I've ever gotten from anyone, ever, let alone a nineteen-year-old. I do believe she has aerial vision. And I am sure I will never find in this life (or any other) words to thank Larryâpartner, guide, and, always, friend.

ALSO BY MARY MORRIS

FICTION

Revenge

Acts of God

The Lifeguard: Stories

House Arrest

The Night Sky

The Waiting Room

The Bus of Dreams

Vanishing Animals & Other Stories

NONFICTION

Angels & Aliens: A Journey West

Maiden Voyages: Writings of Women Travelers

Wall to Wall: From Beijing to Berlin by Rail

Nothing to Declare: Memoirs of a Woman Traveling Alone

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

M
ARY
M
ORRIS
is the author of three other travel memoirs, each one representing a different stage in her life:
Nothing to Declare: Memoirs of a Woman Traveling Alone; Wall to Wall: From Beijing to Berlin by Rail;
and
Angels and Aliens.
She is also the author of six novels, including
The Night Sky; House Arrest; Acts of God;
and
Revenge,
and three collections of short stories, including
The Lifeguard: Stories.
When she is not traveling and writing, Morris is on the faculty of Sarah Lawrence College, where she teaches creative writing. The recipient of the Rome Prize in Literature, Morris lives in Brooklyn.