Colorado River Reader [Paperback]

Richard F. Fleck (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 6, 2000

"This canyon world where water yearns toward the ocean is a place so large I can’t take it in. Instead, I am taken in, traveling a near dream as we journey by water, contained by rock walls. In order to see this shorn-away world, I narrow my vision to the small and nearly secret. Never mind the stone’s illusion of permanence or the great strength of water. I look to the most fragile of things here, to the plant world of the canyon. The other river travelers seem taken in by stone, time, and water, and do not see the small things that tempt my attention, the minute fern between stones, the tiny black snails in a pond of water. I am drawn in by the growing life and not by the passing."
- from 'Plant Journey' by Linda Hogan

The mystique of the Colorado River is no less enduring and powerful than is its physical presence in the landscape of the West. Little wonder that narratives about the Colorado still arouse and intrigue readers, or that the river continues to inspire new writing among contemporary authors. What is surprising is that no anthology offering a comprehensive introduction to these works existed - until now.

A Colorado River Reader spans hundreds of years and many cultures and voices to capture an array of responses to this mighty river and tributaries. The collection opens with a Paiute creation myth set in the Grand Canyon and progresses through time, encompassing the Spanish and American exploration narratives of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and culminating in the adventure and nature writings of the twentieth.

This is a book that deserves a place next to every armchair and in a pocket of every backpack.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The power and majesty of the Colorado River rises magically from the pages of this unique book, which glorifies all aspects of the mighty river. Fleck (dean of arts and humanities, Community Coll. of Denver) has masterfully drawn together 17 pieces that bring to life the explorers and adventurers of the Colorado River. The collection begins with the traditional Paiute Indian legend in which the rushing waters serve as a warning to couples who cannot overcome their differences. Historical tales of exploration follow, starting with an account of the men who were sent by the Church of Mexico City to discover a route through the canyon region. Also included is Maj. John Wesley Powell's account of the uncharted waters. Robert Brewster Stanton details the ill-fated expeditions to survey the shoreline for a railroad route, John C. Van Dyke captures the river and its snakelike bends, Frank Water emphasizes the environmental concerns of the area, and Georgie Clark and Colin Fletcher describe their adventurous river runs. A comprehensive, well-balanced book that is perfect for armchair travelers and history buffs.DJoyce Sparrow, St. Petersburg P.L., FL
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Few anthologies can be both so action-packed and respectful toward nature as is Richard Fleck's choice of narratives. Here for the adrenaline addict are walloping-good rides down Cataract Canyon, as well as craftily informative nature writing on canyon rattlers, cottonwoods, otters, and datura blossoms. The naturalist and river runner in me found these pages turning themselves."—Reg Saner, author of Reaching Keet Seel
 

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 210 pages
• Publisher: University of Utah Press (April 6, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 087480647X
• ISBN-13: 978-0874806472
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 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: #1,742,654 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Richard F. Fleck's first published work, Palms, Peaks and Prairies, was published in 1967 when he was a young professor of English at the University of Wyoming. After twenty-five years (1965-1990) of teaching literature at this university on the high plains of Wyoming and publishing numerous books including Henry Thoreau and John Muir Among the Indians and Critical Perspectives on Native American Literature and introductions to trade paperback editions of the writings of Thoreau and Muir, he and his wife Maura moved to Denver where he became a college dean on the Auraria Campus until his retirement. During this period of time (1990-2001) he published A Colorado River Reader (2000) and in retirement wrote and published a collection of his mountaineering essays Breaking Through the Clouds (2005). Since this book, he has written and collected his mountain poems now appearing in the online edition of Climbing Magazine and can be seen at www.climbing.com/mountains_on_my_mind . His new mountaineering, biographical and literary essays as well as his short fiction can be seen online at www.hubpages.com/juneaukid He also served as Senior Fellow at the University of Bologna, Italy during the spring semester, 2005. His Thoreau papers are housed at the Thoreau Institute at Walden Woods (www.walden.org)where he gave a reading and signing of Breaking Through the Clouds a few seasons ago. He is married with 3 children and 7 grandchildren.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reader Beware - Enjoyment Ahead, July 29, 2001

By 

Bruce Cline "Just a Reader" (Littleton, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Colorado River Reader (Paperback)

This compilation of exceptionally well-written excerpts is a wonderfully varied introduction to, or refresher of, longer works from some of the best authors of books about the Colorado River and its environs. The works range from the predictable, e.g., the writings of John Wesley Powell, Edward Abbey, and Ann Zwinger, to the unexpectedly insightful, e.g., the Paiute Indian Legend and a chapter about the Datura plant by Linda Hogan. Author Richard F. Fleck has carefully chosen writings that portray a variety of perspectives, each an invitation to a longer, more developed work of comparable quality. This is not the only collection of writings about the Colorado River, but it is one of the best edited. If you are looking for a listing of masterworks as recommendations for further reading you have to look no further than the Table of Contents of A Colorado River Reader. But beware, this introduction to the mythology, history, sport, philosophy, ecology, geology, and biology of the Colorado River may cause you to spend additional money on the books from which these passages were excerpted. Of course, and I know from personal experience, money spent on any of these books will be money well spent.