This book is indeed an enjoyable read.

It has the ability to engage the reader and draw them into its world.

However, it does suffer from a certain degree of repetitiveness in some places.

This repetitiveness is particularly noticeable when compared to her previous works.

It seems as if some of the ideas and themes have been recycled or rehashed.

While this may not be a dealbreaker for all readers, it can become tiresome for those who are more discerning.

Despite this flaw, the book still has its merits.

The writing is generally good, and the story is engaging enough to keep the reader turning the pages.

It just would have been nice to see a bit more originality and freshness in the content.

Overall, it's a decent read, but it could have been better had the author made more of an effort to avoid the repetitiveness.

A truly seductive read indeed.

Even the book's small size and weight in my hands were enjoyable sensations, adding to the overall charm. It earns a 4-star rating from me. However, not all the essays were equal in vitality. I did add an extra star for the book's excellent design.

Yet another book by Williams that makes me eager to read more of her work.

In response to the subtitle - Passion and Patience in the Desert - Williams seems to convey that finding one's passion demands patience and will also cause inner turmoil. She writes, "Through the weathering of your spirit (like the weathering of the landscape), the erosion of the soul, we are vulnerable. Isn't that what passion is - bodies broken open through change?" (p. 197).

The wilderness is where Williams seeks repair, discovers kinship, and what she writes about. Despite her Mormon upbringing, she chose not to have children and instead form a different kind of family. At the same time, her passion for the wilderness and its preservation, her pleas, and her activism take a toll on her.

The America's Redrock Wilderness Act was proposed to Congress in 1999 and is outlined in this book published in 2001. Sadly, the act still hasn't been passed. Senator Dick Durbin reintroduced it in April 2023, but it has yet to progress beyond the Committee stage.

I keep trying, and yet I keep failing, to truly enjoy Terry Tempest Williams's writing.

When I initially read Refuge as a first-year college student, I was far from being a fan.

Later on, I found myself teaching that same first-year literature course and had to include Refuge in the class curriculum.

Through that experience, I managed to appreciate the book a little more, but only to a small extent.

Before my recent trip to Bryce and Zion in Utah, her book Red appeared on a recommended reading list, and I made the decision to give Terry Tempest Williams's writing another chance.

It was a relatively quick read and provided a great deal of information.

However, I simply cannot bring myself to enjoy her poetic (which, in my opinion, borders on the melodramatic) writing style.

That being said, I am still glad that I read the book because of the valuable insights I gained into Utah's natural history and the ongoing political battles over Utah's land.

All in all, I would rate the book an A for its informational content but only a C for enjoyment.

Red, a Connection of People with Place, September 20, 2001
on Amazon

When Terry Tempest Williams commences this book with her straightforward equation place + people = politics, one immediately discerns that they have embarked on a literary journey intended to have a profound political impact. However, as the equation implies and as any avid TTW reader is aware, the narrative will delve into the essence of place and people, presented through the honest and open heart of Terry Tempest Williams.

Red is a compilation of stories, poems, journal entries, and thoughts that converge in a single location, the redrock desert of southern Utah. While perusing Red, I couldn't help but notice the resemblances to Steinbeck's The Long Valley and The Pastures of Heaven. Similar to those works, Red weaves together the diverse tales of distinct individuals and the one place that binds them. Yet, in contrast to those books, the stories in Red span hundreds of years. The place endures relatively unchanged over time, while the people and civilizations traverse this unaltered landscape, living, leaving their imprints on the land, and ultimately passing away. TTW narrates these stories in the context of geologic time - desert time. The people remain connected.

Hands serve as the纽带 that unites the people. Hands are ubiquitous throughout the book. They are the link between the past, present, and future. Hands emerge from the past in geologic forms, such as Anasazi handprints on clay pots and redrock walls, and a sharp obsidian chip "worked by ancient hands". They manifest in the present in biologic forms, with a hand sliced open by the same sharp obsidian chip; one hand resting on the belly of a petroglyph while the other lies on a human belly in the present; and the story of children extending their hands to catch the desert's tears that trickle from ferns. Then, in the final paragraph, hands are formed in prayer: "The eyes of the future are looking back at us and they are praying for us to see beyond our own time. They are kneeling with hands clasped that we might act with restraint....Wild mercy is in our hands."

I have a penchant for reading Terry Tempest Williams. Her writing always seems to reach out and touch my soul. She has accomplished this feat once again, and this time with Red hands.

I'll admit that I've embarked on a passionate love affair with Terry Tempest Williams.

This remarkable book crossed my path at the second-hand store. I devoured its pages, and now I'm feverishly scouring the library, eager to get my hands on every single book she has ever written.

Even if you have no prior knowledge or experience of the desert, like myself, you'll find yourself irresistibly falling in love with it through her words. Her profound love for the land is so palpable that it seeps into your soul.

Reading her work has also made me pose a profound question: What are my own stories of the land? What are the connections, memories, and emotions that I have associated with the places I've been?

Williams' writing has opened my eyes and heart to the beauty and significance of the natural world, and I'm excited to explore my own relationship with the land through my own stories.

The eyes of the future are looking back at us, filled with hope and a silent plea.

They are praying for us to have the vision to see beyond the confines of our own time.

Kneeling with hands clasped tightly, they beseech us to act with restraint.

To leave ample room for the life that is yet to come, for the generations that will inherit this world.

Terry Tempest Williams is truly one of my most cherished writers.

What I particularly admire about her is the way she vividly描绘s the desert and the Southwest.

Her profound love and unwavering respect for the wilderness shine through in every single sentence, paragraph, and page of her works.

Although this was penned over 20 years ago as a passionate argument for the preservation of the Redrock Wilderness in southern Utah, astonishingly, so many of the issues and arguments she raised remain strikingly relevant today.

In fact, in some cases, they are even more pertinent.

Her writing serves as both a beautiful benediction, bestowing a sense of peace and wonder, and a powerful call to action, urging us to take responsibility and safeguard the precious natural world around us.

My two most beloved authors are Wallace Stegner and Terry Tempest Williams.

Stegner's fictional works such as "Angle of Repose" and "Big Rock Candy Mountain", along with his nonfiction books like "Beyond the Hundredth Meridian", offer raw and intense portrayals of the geography and people of the American West.

Williams' nonfiction descriptions of the Western wilderness, ranging from national parks to bird refuges and scorching deserts, are both beautiful and haunting.

In "Red", Williams presents a series of meditations on the red rock landscapes of southern Utah and northern Arizona. Each one elicits emotions and passions that make the reader yearn to follow in her footsteps.

Having spent time in the canyons and arroyos of southern Utah, I could vividly smell the pinyon and juniper, see the Ansazi ruins and petroglyphs, and feel the sand and rock beneath my feet as I read her captivating prose.

It is impossible to read Williams and not develop a concern for wilderness, both as a concept and a physical place. If you don't have much regard for wilderness, this book might just inspire you to go out and explore, understanding how restorative and essential it is. If you already care about wilderness, this book (and all of Williams' other writings) will emphasize and strengthen the deep-seated conviction in your soul that emerges after experiencing these remarkable places.

**GAS**

Gas is a crucial energy source that has a significant impact on our daily lives.

It is used for various purposes, such as heating our homes, powering our vehicles, and cooking our food.

Natural gas, in particular, is a clean and efficient fuel that is abundant in many parts of the world.

It is extracted from underground reservoirs and transported through pipelines to our homes and businesses.

However, the use of gas also has some environmental implications.

Burning gas releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which can contribute to climate change.

Therefore, it is important to find ways to use gas more efficiently and to develop alternative energy sources to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.

In conclusion, gas is an important energy source that we cannot do without, but we need to use it wisely and take steps to minimize its impact on the environment.

I have an unwavering love for TTW, and I would highly recommend several of her other literary works.

This particular collection, however, presents a rather complex picture. On one hand, it is filled with beautiful and evocative descriptions of the red rock formations, the mysterious slip canyons, and the unique feeling of being in the Utah desert. For those of us who consider this land as our home, these descriptions are truly a delight.

Yet, for the first time, I noticed that her passion seemed a bit too over-the-top, bordering on the forgettable and saccharin. I suspect that these pieces were not originally intended to be part of a single collection. Instead, they might have been gathered from various sources and outlets simply because they all focus on the same geographic area.

While the concept of exploring different aspects of Utah and desert conservation is sound in theory, in practice, the book doesn't read or flow very smoothly. One moment, I find myself沉浸 in an intimate personality sketch of a local character, and the next, I'm thrust into a very formal petition for wilderness rights addressed to government agencies. The latter part just feels like preaching to the choir. I already understand why Aldo Leopold had such a profound impact on the world, and a simplistic essay on the subject isn't likely to add much value.

Moreover, many pages of this book are dedicated to listing the names of places. While this may be important for local groups to see their favorite landmarks identified, for me, 40 pages of names that hold no personal meaning are essentially 40 pages wasted.

I'm being tough on her because when she's at her best, she is truly outstanding. In fact, a couple of the essays in this book do qualify as excellent. It's worth picking up this collection if you're planning a trip to Escalante or if you're already a die-hard fan and are willing to sift through the pages to find the hidden gems.

The essays presented a diverse collection, a real mixed bag indeed.

However, I had the pleasure of reading them while I was out in the magnificent red rock country of Utah.

The experience was truly magical. As I immersed myself in the words, it felt as if the essays were helping me to truly "be" in that beautiful place.

They allowed me to think about the surrounds in a completely new and refreshing way.

Instead of just seeing the red rocks and the vast landscapes, I was able to explore the deeper meanings and emotions that they evoked.

The essays became a conduit for my thoughts and feelings, enhancing my connection with the natural world around me.

It was a remarkable experience that I will always cherish.

Some of the essays in this collection are truly great,展现出深刻的 insights and beautiful writing.

However, there are also some that don't quite reach the same level of excellence.

Overall, I have to admit that I don't think I was in the right mood for this book.

Perhaps if I had approached it with a different mindset or at a different time, I might have been able to appreciate it more fully.

But as it stands, while I can recognize the quality of some of the essays, they didn't really resonate with me on a deeper level.

Maybe I'll give it another try in the future and see if my perspective changes.

This adorable little book is truly remarkable. It manages to be incredibly approachable, yet it is no less profound than the writing that I have come to anticipate from Terry Tempest Williams.

If you reside within a day's drive of red-rock, you should definitely read it. It is simply breathtaking. So far, it is the only thing I've discovered that can capture that enchanting feeling that only the desert has evoked in me.

Williams leads her readers through the process of connecting to the land by beautifully capturing its beauty and elucidating the wisdom that comes with it. The book is filled with delightful vignettes about desert life and finding meaning, solace, and purpose in the desert.

It speaks to a way of life that is alien to suburbia, yet somehow, perhaps on an instinctual level, it awakens something ancient, familiar, and right. It's a sad book, but only because it pertains to something that we seem to have lost without even realizing it.

Williams traces a fight to retain and regain this loss, providing an insightful and nuanced overview of desert conservation in the political landscapes of Utah, Colorado, and most surprisingly, her own home. At the heart of it all is her story, a reflection on living as a resistant member of a species that struggles to rein in its destructive tendencies and, worse, fails to connect with its own nature, its own community, and the land of its own habitat.

Overall, this book is a must-read for anyone who has a love for the desert or a desire to understand our relationship with the natural world.