Rim to river : looking into the heart of Arizona

Tom Zoellner walked across the length of Arizona to come to terms with his home state. But the trip revealed more mountains behind the mountains. Rim to River is the story of this extraordinary journey through redrock country, down canyons, up mesas, and across desert plains to the obscure valley in Mexico that gave the state its enigmatic name. The trek is interspersed with incisive essays that pick apart the distinctive cultural landscape of Arizona: the wine-colored pinnacles and complex spirituality of Navajoland, the mind-numbing stucco suburbs, desperate border crossings, legislative skullduggery, extreme politics, billion-dollar copper ventures, dehydrating rivers, retirement kingdoms, old-time foodways, ghosts of old wars, honky-tonk dreamers, murder mysteries, and magical Grand Canyon reveries. In Rim to River, Zoellner does for Arizona what Larry McMurtry did for Texas in In a Narrow Grave and what Wallace Stegner did for Utah in Mormon Country: paint an enduring portrait of a misunderstood American state. An indictment, a love letter, and a homecoming story all at once. Cover Praise for Rim to River Praise for Tom Zoellner Title Page Copyright Contents The Glittering World Heidegger at the Grand Canyon Enchiladas and Whiskey Hellsgate The Canon The Fountain Monotony Rules Flashpoint The Prize El Rey The Love Song of Interstate 10 White Bones Windy Point Gabrielle, Then and Now The Red Embrace The Green Valley Grin Lechuguilla Acknowledgments Notes on Sources Notes Bibliography Index About the Author "A walking journey across Arizona with essays on wildfire, copper mining, border crossing, dirty politics, Native culture, violence, suburban monotony, shrinking water, local cuisine, literary culture and the Grand Canyon. I have sought to write the most comprehensive one-volume portrait of Arizona ever written: a deep narrative map"-- Provided by publisher A Sharp Examination Of Arizona By A Nationally Acclaimed Writer, Rim To River Follows Tom Zoellner On A 790-mile Walk Across His Home State As He Explores Key Elements Of Arizona Culture, Politics, And Landscapes. This Book Is Essential Reading For Anyone Interested In Learning More About A Vibrant And Baffling Place.