Wild Ducks Flying Backward

A “hilarious” (The New York Times Book Review) collection of essays, articles, observations—and even some country-music lyrics—that offer a rare overview of the eclectic sensibility of an American original

“[Tom] Robbins is fearless, original, mind-expanding, and funny as hell.”—San Diego Union-Tribune

“Part philosopher, part court jester, Robbins uses sparkling phrases mixed with over-the-top puns to impart his Zenlike wisdom.”—Los Angeles Times

Whether 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,” Tom Robbins’s briefer writings exhibit the five traits that perhaps best characterize his novels: an imaginative wit, a cheerfully brash disregard for convention, a sweetly nasty sensuality, a mystical but keenly observant eye, and an irrepressible love of language. Embedded in this primarily journalistic compilation are brand-new short stories, a sheaf of largely unpublished poems, and an offbeat assessment of our divided nation.

Wherever you read Wild Ducks Flying Backward, you’ll encounter the serious playfulness that percolates from the mind of a self-described “romantic Zen hedonist” and “stray dog in the banquet halls of culture.”

About the Author :
Tom Robbins has been called “a vital natural resource” by the Oregonian, “one of the wildest and most entertaining novelists in the world” by the Financial Times of London, and “the most dangerous writer in the world” by Fernanda Pivano of Italy’s Corriere della Sera. His works include Jitterbug Perfume, Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates, and Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. A Southerner by birth, Tom Robbins lived in and around Seattle from 1962 until he passed away in 2025.

Review :
Praise for Tom Robbins and Wild Ducks Flying Backward

“Soars on the imagination and passion of Tom Robbins . . . one of the bravest writers in America. . . . He’ll amaze you with his ability to entertain.”—Chicago Tribune

“Cavort[s] with language as if it were a playmate with whom he can dance, woo, rock and roll . . . Closer to a musical improvisation than traditional prose . . . Part philosopher, part court jester, Robbins uses sparkling phrases mixed with over-the-top puns to impart his Zenlike wisdom. . . . A huge amount of fun.”—Los Angeles Times

“Thank Heaven, and Hades too, for Tom Robbins. . . . Wild Ducks Flying Backward is one spicy bouillabaisse cooked up by Robbins’ hyperkinetic imagination and his prodigious galaxy of interests. . . . For his loyal legions of smitten readers, this collection may be the closest they will ever come to a Robbins memoir. There is much more to Tom Robbins and his work than is sometimes assumed and that is confirmed again by the startling collection of Wild Ducks Flying Backward.”—Seattle Post-Intelligencer

“It is a great pleasure to find this psychedelic son of Mark Twain, this metaphor-slinging, myth-steeped champion of liberation directly addressing his aesthetic and spiritual concerns in this retrospective collection. . . . Robbins’ funny and astute short works shimmer with original and piquant descriptions, sensual delight, and a firm grasp of human nature and history.”—Booklist

“A single sentence from Robbins is worth the price of admission. . . . This compilation . . . contains flashes of brilliance and myriad quirky observations about people, places, and life.”—Columbus Dispatch