Sometimes ducks fly. Sometimes ducks don't. This Duck from Oregon recounts the thrilling tale of the day he attempted to take to the skies. A story of triumph in the face of adversity, this tale is inspiring to all ages.
Known for his meaty seriocomic novels–expansive works that are simultaneously lowbrow and highbrow–Tom Robbins has also published over the years a number of short pieces, predominantly nonfiction. His travel articles, essays, and tributes to actors, musicians, sex kittens, and thinkers have appeared in publications ranging from Esquire to Harper’s, from Playboy to the New York Times, High Times, and Life. A generous sampling, collected here for the first time and including works as diverse as scholarly art criticism and some decidedly untypical country- music lyrics, Wild Ducks Flying Backward offers a rare sweeping overview of the eclectic sensibility of an American original. Whether he is rocking with the Doors, depoliticizing Picasso’s Guernica, lamenting the angst-ridden state of contemporary literature, or drooling over tomato sandwiches and a species of womanhood he calls “the genius waitress,” Robbins’s briefer writings often exhibit the same five traits that perhaps best characterize his novels: an imaginative wit, a cheerfully brash disregard for convention, a sweetly nasty eroticism, a mystical but keenly observant eye, and an irrepressible love of language. Embedded in this primarily journalistic compilation are a couple of short stories, a sheaf of largely unpublished poems, and an off-beat assessment of our divided nation. And wherever we open Wild Ducks Flying Backward, we’re apt to encounter examples of the intently serious playfulness that percolates from the mind of a self-described “romantic Zen hedonist” and “stray dog in the banquet halls of culture.”
Ducks are supposed to like flying. After all, its a natural thing for them to do. But Wilber the duck is terrified of flying too high. As his mother tries to help him, Wilber flies with his eyes closed. He is just too frightened to look down. Even after he promises his mother he will try to fly higherand with his eyes openno amount of coaxing convinces Wilber to take wing with his duckling friends. But one day when a sly red fox tries to grab his mother and take her away, Wilber must decide whether he can soar high into the big blue sky and save the day or let that nasty fox have his way. In this childrens tale, a young duck who is scared to fly high must summon the courage to overcome his fear in order to rescue his mother from a hungry fox.
Tales from the Oregon Ducks Sideline takes the reader on a fun-filled trip through Oregon’s gridiron history. Author Brian Libby brings Duck fans out to the 50 yard line and into the locker room as he tells colorful tales about the Oregon football program, from its start in 1894 to today, culminating in the hard-fought BCS Championship game against Auburn in January 2011.
A duck marvels at how wonderful it is to be a duck, with feathers, webbed feet, and wings that can fly, from the time he is hatched until he becomes a dad.
Did you know that the mascot of the Oregon Ducks is modeled after Disney's Donald Duck? The Duck is escorted into Autzen Stadium on the back of a custom-painted Oregon-themed Harley Davidson motorcycle. Learn more about this college team's history, traditions, uniforms, team records, coaches, and legendary players in Oregon Ducks, part of the Inside College Football series.