Uncover the currents of memory

The water carries stories—of resilience, loss, and survival, of those who live at its edges. Like the river, we are shaped by what we carry.

Recent Quick Dispatches

Short dispatches from the river and beyond

  • Sometimes you open a hatch and find a whole civilization.

    Sometimes you open a hatch and find a whole civilization.

    This week’s adventure started with one of those innocent “hey, let’s check that” moments. We opened the forward locker where we store life vests—and accidentally disturbed a long-standing treaty with several insect nations. We didn’t set out to launch an eviction, but when the sawdust starts falling and the structural integrity looks questionable, it’s time…

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  • From Chaos, Shelves

    From Chaos, Shelves

    The loft has been a shameful mess for, oh, about a decade. We finally did something about it. What started with a cardboard prototype turned into a full-on build—panel glue-ups from pallet wood, rusty vinegar stain, some sketchy lofting techniques, and boom: a custom shelf unit with a secret drawer and a little bit of…

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  • Stay A Little Longer

    Stay A Little Longer

    On warm nights drifting down the river, we’d often sit on the deck with the lanterns lit low, a transistor radio tucked in the corner, and a scratchy country tune bouncing off the water. Bob Wills. Spade Cooley. Hank Penny. We’ve gathered some of those sounds for you—audio recordings from the shantyboat, including “Songs Drifting…

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  • The Tribunal Convenes

    The Tribunal Convenes

    There comes a day in every shantyboat’s life when the accumulated cruft must be held accountable. Today was that day. Every object not nailed down faced trial. Some were redeemed. Others were detained indefinitely. A few were possibly innocent but didn’t make a strong enough case. Justice is complicated. What matters is that Dotty now…

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  • Dotty Work Day – Engines, Bilges, and (Almost) Explosions

    Dotty Work Day – Engines, Bilges, and (Almost) Explosions

    Keeping Dotty afloat takes a village and good tea. Today was one of those deeply satisfying shantyboat work days. The whole crew pitched in—Chris got Freddy (our trusty outboard) humming beautifully; James battled bilge wiring; Miah took one for the team handling propane lines and sink leaks. And me? I kept obscure boat parts streaming…

    Quick Peek

  • We’re Not Going to Lie—This One’s a Bit Urgent

    We’re Not Going to Lie—This One’s a Bit Urgent

    There’s no poetic way to say it: the federal government has effectively gutted the arts and humanities. Cultural projects everywhere, including ours, are reeling from this sudden defunding. Grants vanished, promised support evaporated. It’s tough out here for storytelling and truth. But we’re scrappy, and we’ve survived storms, pandemics, and river pirates—so we’re betting on…

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Longer reports from the field

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