 Duncan also uses the afterword to describe the process that led to the writing of "The River Why", and the difficulty finding a publisher.Throughout the piece Duncan speaks of political, religious, and environmental ideas that are the basis of "The River Why", "The Brothers K" (1992, ), "River Teeth" (1996, ), "My Story As Told By Water" (2001, ), "", () as well as other essays and published writings.The book is the basis of a film starring Zach Gilford, William Hurt and Amber Heard.