A historical exploration of the multicultural, water-seeking, land-destroying settlers of the most arid corner of North America, arguing that in order to know where the United States is going in the era of mass migration and climate crisis we must understand where the Southwest has already been.
A lively, thoughtful tour through the history and culture of Phoenix, El Paso, Las Vegas and other cities of the region’s deserts and plains. But it’s also a guide and a warning ... The portraits that emerge both enhance and poke holes in the stories the Southwest tells itself.
Paoletta spends the most time, digs the deepest, and has the most fun in the region’s two splashiest success stories ... Unsparingly details the ways the southwest was not filled with promise for everyone ... Clear-eyed.
