In the Prologue of Trout Kill the term “god dot” appears twice: once in the first paragraph, and again a few pages later in the last paragraph. It’s a term I invented that refers to the first circle of growth in the cross section of a tree, that center-most dot. It’s metaphorical implications relate to Eddy’s search for his unknown past, namely the tragic events that occurred on the day he was born. These events comprise one of the two central narratives of Trout Run, the second book of the Trout Trilogy. Eddy is 47 years old, so imagine a cross section with 47 rings. In Trout Run, Eddy seeks to know what happened to his father and mother, and to find the answers he must return in time to the events of this birth day–his god dot..