Guernica Magazine

Elegy for a River

In so many ways, human behavior is emptying the Amu Darya.
The Amu Darya river in Uzbekistan. Photograph by David Trilling.

Most mighty rivers enjoy a spectacular finale: a fertile delta, a mouth agape to the sea, a bay of plenty. But it had taken me almost a week to find where the Amu Darya comes to die.

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