Former high desert rancher Ellen Waterston writes of a wild, essentially roadless, starkly beautiful part of the American West. Following the recently created 750-mile Oregon Desert Trail, she embarks on a creative and inquisitive exploration, introducing readers to a "trusting, naive, earnest, stubbly, grumpy old man of a desert" that is grappling with issues at the forefront of national, if not global, concern: public land use, grazing rights for livestock, protection of sacred Indigenous ground, water rights, and protection of habitat for endangered species.

Blending travel writing with memoir and history, Waterston profiles a wide range of people who call the high desert home and offers fresh perspectives on nationally reported regional conflicts such as the Malheur Wildlife Refuge occupation. Walking the High Desert invites readers-wherever they may be-to consider their own beliefs, identities, and surroundings through the optic of the high desert of southeastern Oregon.

Finding community and conflict on Oregon's outback

About the Author

Ellen Waterston is author of Where the Crooked Desert Rises: A High Desert Home, a memoir, four poetry collections, and four poetry collections including a verse novel. She is the founder and president of the Waterston Desert Writing Prize and the founder of the Writing Ranch in Bend, Oregon.

Reviews

"Readers of Oregon's local history, advocates of the environment and high desert dwellers on the left and right side of the aisle will connect with this book. In Waterston's classic voice that imparts her immense research while speaking to readers like a friend, Walking the High Desert is an important addition to Oregon's literature about place."

* Bend Magazine *

"Whether or not you make it to this part of the country, Waterston will make you take a closer look at the place you call home."

* Kirkus Reviews *

"Walking the High Desert braids together the challenges of rural and small-town America with the opportunities for and threats to wilderness conservation. It's tied together with the ribbon of Waterston's own experiences as a rancher, writer and resident. This book shares iridescent insights."

* Bookmonger *

"This lyrical and passionate celebration of the Oregon high desert is devoted to delivering a compelling argument for its conservation...Walking the High Desert unpacks the complexity of conservation issues as lived experience, and will make a tremendous contribution as a defining text for Western conservation advocates and the policy questions they face."

* Choice *

"[A]n engaging commentary on many aspects of life and land in southeastern Oregon... For those with an appreciation for humanistic connections, this book will be a wonderful companion if you walk along the Oregon Desert Trail."

* Journal of Geography *

"[O]ffers im portant insight into the people and politics of southeastern Oregon's high desert country... While the title of the book conjures up a travelogue of sorts, the book itself is more a metaphorical journey, skillfully weaving together various strands of human experience, past and present, into a vibrant tapestry that brings this hardscrabble region to life."

* Pacific Northwest Quarterly *


Awards
Short-listed for WILLA Literary Award in Creative Nonfiction 2021 (United States).



Book Information
ISBN 9780295747507
Author Ellen Waterston
Format Paperback
Page Count 248
Imprint University of Washington Press
Publisher University of Washington Press
Weight(grams) 295g
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 140mm * 17mm