Unable to passively watch the violence unleashed by a president steeped in biblical fundamentalism, what else could Duncan — the celebrated author, spirited environmentalist, and beloved Northwest fish-friend — do but write about it? He offers God Laughs & Plays as a literary act of dissent against the preaching and politics of the current administration.

Duncan appears to have compiled his latest book by gathering quotes from heroes and heroines, interviews, and personal essays into his arms, hastily tying them together with fishing line, and casting the whole lot out into the public. Somehow, it works; the author doesn’t take himself nearly as seriously as some of our political figures, and his dry wit and hilarity permeate every page. While arguing that beliefs based on a literal reading of any text are insults to both life and literature, Duncan concedes that “Words in books can remind us of truth, and help awaken us to it.” This collection does just that.

—Kristi Thorne