Title: Dripping dry
Description: More than any other single characteristic, aridity defines the American West. Water scarcity and its biologically critical function have also molded the regional literature of the region. Using novels by Barbara Kingsolver, Edward Abbey, John Steinbeck and Mary Austin, Dripping Dry combines literary analysis with environmental criticism to demonstrate how the myths that have pervaded the regional literature of the West have interacted with the myths that have shaped water policy throughout the twentieth century. The four works selected (Animal Dreams, The Monkey Wrench Gang, The Grapes of Wrath, and The Ford) present a composite portrait of reclamation, which the author argues is one of the most important cultural and ecological phenomena in the nation's history. The tensions and contradictions presented by the novels underscore the compelling need for an ecocritique of the relationship between literature and politics. David N. Cassuto deciphers the myths of reclamation and restoration and presents a third alternative--sustainability--in their stead. The challenge is a large one, because of the size and complexity of the region and because nature continues to evolve and create itself, a process involving language, ideology, and the land. The book is designed to be an interdisciplinary contribution both to the emerging field of literature and the environment, as well as to environmental studies.
Subjects: Politics and government, Deserts in literature, Politics and literature, Intellectual life, History and criticism, American literature, American Authors, Water, Political aspects of Water supply, Homes and haunts, Water in literature, Water supply, In literature, Water-supply, American literature, history and criticism, Water-supply, united states, Political aspects
Places: New Southwest, Southwestern States