New Review of The Sonoran Desert in Southwestern American Literature

Southwestern American Literature recently published a review of The Sonoran Desert: A Literary Field Guide. In the review, William Huggins writes:

“Poetry at it best compels us to look more closely at our world. The best of these poems and short essays lead readers to engage with the plants and animals they describe word by word and line by line, creating a literary ecology that, like the natural world itself, can be returned to time and again, always revealing something not formerly seen. The editors’ stated goal—’The empiricism of science, the imaginative and cognitive leaps of poetry, the close observation of both…we need it all’—is more than met by this excellent book.”

Southwestern American Literature is here, and the link to the issue’s Table of Contents is here.

New Reviews in The Los Angeles Review and Western American Literature

The Sonoran Desert: A Literary Field Guide was recently reviewed in The Los Angeles Review and Western American Literature.

Here are a few quotes from the review by L. Ann Wheeler in The Los Angeles Review:

“…this anthology is the field guide you’ve always wanted. Combining factual information alongside a creative response to each entry, The Sonoran Desert harmonizes science and the arts. This much needed convergence is made in a time where the two fields are often separated and pitted against each other as fabricated opposites.”

“…the valuation of observation over monument-making, is the greatest joy of this collection. Magrane and Cokinos capture light in a jar, so that you may take it into the field: a living, breathing companion.”

And here are a few from the review by Jennifer Lair in Western American Literature:

“The guide fills a niche in western American literature by delivering a combination of literary insight specific to a region while at the same time providing legitimate field guide information in a memorable way likely to make readers chuckle.”

“…a useful, thought-provoking, and entertaining addition to anyone’s field guide collection…”

Find the full reviews here and here.