One Water
Rob McCue 

In his book One Water, author Rob McCue takes his readers on a cab ride through Fairbanks and its surrounding area – from wilderness to downtown streets. The book is not merely a narrative of his adventures, but also contains descriptions of the geological, biological and climatic circumstances that have shaped Alaska. 

“Fairbanks and the wilderness that surrounds it have inspired much of my writing. I like to take trips in the backcountry, stay out there for a week or two, chronicle the experience in a journal. These entries form the backbone of a lot of my stories. I feel like there’s a special quality to content that is generated beyond the flow of our everyday existence, a quality it can be hard to duplicate in town, at a desk, with a clock ticking down to the next appointment. 

Next I like to research some of the geological, biological, ecological phenomena I wrote about and layer that science into the narrative at appropriate times. There’s also political stuff and philosophical stuff that can be fit in to make it a more well rounded experience. I want the reader to be able to learn something if they’re so inclined. I want it dense, like they could take a bite of it if they wanted to. Nevertheless, it all starts with those journal entries and few things I know inspire these like this endless wilderness around us.

But the people of this town are quite a fascinating lot as well. My job as a cab driver provides me with these intimate little 5-30 minute long exposure snapshots of a lot of the folks who live and pass through here. I try to record the most interesting of these in journals, as well. I mean I could take the mayor home then on the next trip, pick up the biggest drunk in Fairbanks and take him to detox, and then take an Inupiaq whaler to the airport. Every shift is a bizarre journey. If not a lucrative one. But Fairbanksans inspire me. As does the wilderness around us.”
– Rob McCue, Author 

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“This collection of short stories takes us on an enjoyable trip through Rob’s life in Fairbanks, from the residents he meets while working as a nighttime taxi driver, to the friends that are there to help him build a house, to the family that saved his life, to his hunting and adventure trips and especially to his time in the quiet of the outdoors on a river.  He is totally in love with the wilderness of Alaska and it shows in all his ventures.”
– Gayle Miller, Bear Gallery docent 

Grab your copy in the Bear Gallery Gift Shop!

 

Fairbanks Arts programs are made possible by individual and corporate contributions, the City of Fairbanks Hotel/Motel Bed Tax, Fairbanks North Star Borough and Alaska State Council on the Arts.