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Land of Enchantment, Land of Conflict: New Mexico in English-Language Fiction by David L. Caffey (review)
- Western American Literature
- The Western Literature Association
- Volume 37, Number 1, Spring 2002
- pp. 136-137
- 10.1353/wal.2002.0049
- Review
- Additional Information
- Purchase/rental options available:
136 WAL 3 7 . 1 S pr i ng 2002 K a r e n E. W a ld o n ’s essay o n Le slie M a r m o n Silk o e m p h a siz e s h o w S ilk o ’s w r it in g a c c o m p lish e s w h a t T h o r e a u a n d m o d e m n a t u r e w r ite r s fail t o d o : “m a n ife st t h e r e la t io n sh ip b e t w e e n t h e h u m a n b e in g a n d h is o r h e r su r r o u n d in gs as o n e o f b e in g r a t h e r t h a n v ie w in g .” S h e a lso su gge st s t h a t S ilk o ’s w o r k “offe r s n o w ild e r n e ss c o n c e p t ” (1 7 9 ). A n o t h e r essay, fo c u sin g o n G lo r ia A n z a ld u a ’s w or k , b e g in s w it h a t h o u gh t p r o v o k in g c h a lle n g e : “L a t in a / o v o ic e s ar e st r ik in gly a b se n t fr o m m o st a n t h o lo g ie s o n n a t u r e w r it in g, a c o n sp ic u o u s v o id g iv e n t h e a b u n d a n c e o f n a r r a t iv e s t h a t h ist o r ic a lly fo c u s o n t h e c e n t r a lit y o f g e o g r a p h y — fr o m fe n c e s to b o r d e r s t o n a t io n st a t e s— a n d o f a p h y sic a l c o n n e c t io n t o t h e lan d , t o d e se r t s, fie ld s, a n d isla n d s” (2 0 4 ). T h e a u t h o r s c o n n e c t A n z a ld u a ’s c h ild r e n ’s b o o k s t o n a t u r e t h r o u gh c u ran d ism o , t h e R io G r a n d e , d e se r t s, o u t d o o r ga m e s, c o lle c t in g fir e w o o d , e n v ir o n m e n t a l in ju st ic e , h u m a n - a n im a l r e la t io n s, a n d t h e sy m b o lism o f fe n c e s. O t h e r e ssay s in c lu d e r e fe r e n c e s t o in d ig e n o u s g a r d e n in g t r ad it io n s, “d e sp it e so m e e x p e r t c...