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Revisiting Goodbye To A River

First edition of Goodbye to a River published by Knopf in 1960

AUGUST 23 – DECEMBER 12, 2010
REVISITING GOODBYE TO A RIVER: A 50-Year Anniversary

The Wittliff Collections at Texas State present this exhibition in the Southwestern Writers Collection lobby in honor of the 50-year anniversary of Knopf’s publication of Goodbye to a River by John Graves. Every edition of the book ever printed is on view (it continues to remain in print), as well as a variety of materials from the John Graves Papers, the author’s major archive at the Wittliff, including vintage snapshots of Graves setting out on the Brazos and the canoe paddle he used during the inspirational trip. On permanent display is a full-figure bronze statue of Graves by Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist and acclaimed sculptor, Patrick Oliphant, fashioned from pictures of the author taken at his ranch, Hardscrabble, by Bill Wittliff.