Barren, Wild, and Worthless: Living in the Chihuahuan Desert [Paperback]

Susan J. Tweit (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2003

Appearing barren and most definitely wild, the Chihuahuan Desert of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States may look worthless to some, but for Susan Tweit it is an inspiration. In this collection of seven elegant personal essays, she explores undiscovered facets of this seemingly hostile environment. With eloquence, passion, and insight, she describes and reflects on the relationship between the land, history, and people and makes this underappreciated region less barren for those who would share her journeys.

"There's often little to this terrain, but to the author it's a beautiful landscape bursting with stories and wildlife, with big cities and small chunks of quietness found in few other places on earth. Tweit's essays have a pleasant style that combines history with personal discovery." —Book Talk "Sense of place is measured by one's awareness of the landscape and the extent to which it dictates thought and behavior. Barren, Wild, and Worthless dramatizes the aspirations, needs, and functional rhythms of life that are revealed and defined by this seventh sense." —Southwestern American Literature

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A collection of insightful essays . . . Here are stories of conditions often out of balance, mostly without visible remedy—short-sighted urban renewal, the legacy of over-grazing, aquifer depletion, the loss of an old church and with it the gathering place of a whole community. . . . Those interested in the history and ecology of the region will want to pick it up, as well as those looking for good contemporary essay writing about the West." —The New Mexican

From the Back Cover

Appearing barren and most definitely wild, the Chihuahuan Desert of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States may look worthless to some, but for Susan Tweit it is an inspiration. In this collection of seven elegant personal essays, she explores undiscovered facets of this seemingly hostile environment. With eloquence, passion, and insight, she describes and reflects on the relationship between the land, history, and people and makes this underappreciated region less barren for those who would share her journeys.

"A collection of insightful essays . . . Here are stories of conditions often out of balance, mostly without visible remedy--short-sighted urban renewal, the legacy of overgrazing, aquifer depletion, the loss of an old church and with it the gathering place of a whole community. . . . Those interested in the history and ecology of the region will want to pick it up, as well as those looking for good contemporary essay writing about the West." --The New Mexican

"Through her stories and the stories inherent in the land, we come not only to feel this country, but to believe in its dry, bony presence as a place of miracles and wild wisdom." --Terry Tempest Williams

"There's often little to this terrain, but to the author it's a beautiful landscape bursting with stories and wildlife, with big cities and small chunks of quietness found in few other places on earth. Tweit's essays have a pleasant style that combines history with personal discovery." --Book Talk

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 203 pages
• Publisher: University of Arizona Press; 1 edition (February 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816523339
• ISBN-13: 978-0816523337
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #570,311 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #20 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Ecosystems > Deserts

More About the Author

My training is in field ecology, the study of the natural communities that make Earth a living planet. I once spent weeks in wild places studying grizzly bear habitat, wildfire patterns and sagebrush communities. I turned to writing when I realized I loved telling the stories behind the data more than collecting those data.

I'm the author of twelve books that explore the interrelationships that form what Aldo Leopold called the "community of the land." My work has appeared in magazines and newspapers from Audubon and Popular Mechanics to High Country News and the Los Angeles Times - and has been heard on the Martha Stewart Living Radio Network.

I've taught workshops at colleges, universities, and writing festivals from University of California-Riverside and Miami University of Ohio to Wofford College in South Carolina, as well as at home and online. Audiences as diverse as the International Xeriscape Conference, Collegiate Peaks Forum, Monte Vista Crane Festival, and the Walking Words Writing Festival have called my talks "inspiring" and "insightful." I coach individual writers, review manuscripts for university presses, and contribute to "The Perch," the blog of Audubon magazine, and Story Circle Network's "HerStories" as well as my own blog. My current teaching and speaking schedule is on my web site (susanjtweit.com).

I'm a Quaker, a step-mother, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a mentor & mentee, and a friend. I belong to an informal network of writers and artists who speak for the land, and to Story Circle Network, Women Writing the West, ASLE, and Colorado Author's League.

I'm a passionate gardener: I grow my own vegetables, fruits and herbs, and also enjoy the challenge of native plant restoration and "wildscape" design. My designs have been featured in the Rocky Mountain News, Zone 4, and on garden blogs. Take a look at the slide shows on my web site (susanjtweit.com).

I live with my husband, sculptor Richard Cabe, in a house heated by the sun--the sun generates our electricity, too!--on a reclaimed industrial parcel in a high-desert valley tucked in the shadow of the tallest stretch of the Rocky Mountains.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The Naturalist-in-Training, June 7, 2011

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Evelyn Horn "birds & flowers" (Western Colorado) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Barren, Wild, and Worthless: Living in the Chihuahuan Desert (Paperback)

I live in Western Colorado, and I love the open spaces. Susan's book takes me back into the wild, empty landscape of New Mexico.
And I think again of the austere beauty, the fragil environment, its fascinating and elusive creatures. And of the sad price if this landscape is inundated by humanity.
I love the book!
The Naturalist-in-Training