Writing the Southwest [Paperback]

David King Dunaway (Editor), Paula Gunn Allen (Preface), Rudolfo Anaya (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1995

Dunaway brings together the unusual writing talents of 14 poets, playwrights, essayists and novelists from all walks of life in Writing the Southwest. Each segment includes a biographical sketch of the author, excerpts from th e author's work, and a selected bibliography. The writers include Tony Hillerman, Barbara Kingsolver, Luci Tapahonso and many others.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Writing the Southwest is much more than an ordinary compilation of regional short stories. Like the radio series of the same name, each selection begins with a biographical piece about the author with interview material and excerpts from various works. The book begins with one of the best known of recent Southwestern authors, Edward Abbey. His background speaks volumes about his enigmatic life and controversial, fiercely independent attitudes. Rudolfo Anaya, who also wrote the foreword, describes his connection to the Southwest. "To be moved into the real of the characters of the story means to feel the place, the food, music, language and history of the character's surrounding. Taken a step further, the power of literature is to transport the reader into the very core of the mythic and poetic world of the story." Tony Hillerman jokingly defines "regional" authors as "everybody except New York writers" but notes that the vast, often lonely landscape of the Southwest is what unites its writers. Terry McMillan travels through Arizona in the excerpt from Waiting to Exhale and wonders at the irony that Mexicans are now picking cotton in the fields. Frank Waters, the native Coloradan who has been writing about this area for decades, talks about the environment and Anglo-English exploitation of it. A vivid composite of the region's best-known writers, Writing the Southwest is an excellent sampling of unique viewpoints and deep roots.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher

This assemblage of interviews, bibliographies, excerpts, and criticism on fourteen of the Southwest’s most important authors has been updated to provide more background material. Includes a 74-minute compact disc containing discussions with authors such as Tony Hillerman and Terry McMillan. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Plume (October 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452273943
• ISBN-13: 978-0452273948
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,660,033 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite books on writers & their words, April 27, 2000

By 

Susannah Indigo - See all my reviews

This review is from: Writing the Southwest (Paperback)

A terrific book on the meaning of writing & how some writers' go about it. Joy Harjo, Barbara Kingsolver, Edward Abbey, Alberto Rios -- these are writers with depth and some remarkable things to say. Part bio, part political, part inspiration, it's one of those books I've read way more than once.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read, August 29, 2004

By 

Cliff Gravel "Writer/Actor" (Albuquerque, NM, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Writing the Southwest (Hardcover)

There are hundreds of books about the southwest. If you can read only one, this is it. If you have any inclination to write you must read this book and listen to the CD.