Read: Crossing Open Ground

No idea when Crossing Open Ground was written, but my best guess is quite some time ago. Barry Lopez is a nature writer. And you could call him a travel writer. And you could call him a range of other things, but I don’t like to apply labels to writers because books mean different things to different people. When I was in middle school I was so enamored by the movie Urban Cowboy I decided to track down the book, and I’m so glad I did. (Also had the soundtrack on eight track.)There was a passage about Bud driving to Texas for a job in the oil friends. He looks out the window and sees a bull scratching its nuts, which reminds Bud to scratch his own. Life changing. You might have read the same book and focused on the mesh t-shirt worn by the villain Wes Hightower. (Masterfully portrayed by Scott Glenn.) Who am I to judge what this literary masterpiece gave to you?

The Southwest, the Arctic. There is no mention of climate change for you sensitive types, another reason to date this book. But good nature writing withstands time, like certain rock formations far enough from the parking lot to keep the lunatics from vandalizing them. I so, so, so hope they catch these clowns. I’d love a long federal sentence and a massive fine, but that isn’t likely to happen. A guy can dream.

This book is effortless. Each story is written with its own style and narrative technique, so it doesn’t feel like “same story, different location.” In fact, I was thinking each chapter could make its own standalone book. Lopez is a legend in his genre. He is perhaps best known for Arctic Dreams, but has numerous other titles to his name. Get any of them, read any of them.