If the Cascade Mountains are Oregon's backbone, the Willamette River is something like its main artery.
Most of Oregon's population lives within a few miles of the big river, which rises in Lane County and flows north to Portland and the Columbia.
The Mid-Valley, roughly halfway between Eugene and Portland, is the focus of a book of essays called Wild in the Willamette.
Notable regional authors contributed works hailing the natural wonders of the river and its environs.
Co-editor Abby Phillips Metzger sits for an interview.