Book 13 of 2022: Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs by Wallace Stegner

This was Stegner's final book, originally published in 1992, just a year before his passing. It is a remarkable collection of essays, neatly divided into three parts: Personal (autobiographical), Habitat (environmental), and Witnesses (about other Western writers and their works). The title is derived from a lyric in The Big Rock Candy Mountains, which is also the title of his semi-autobiographical novel about his parents and his childhood spent traversing the West.

I found this collection to be an immensely satisfying read, especially for those interested in "living and writing in the West". Stegner's migrant childhood had a profound impact on his sense of place in the arid West and its conservation and preservation. Having lived in the arid lands beyond the 100th meridian for over 40 years, these essays truly nourished my red-rock stained soul. As Stegner so eloquently put it, the Western wilderness is the "geography of hope".

His "Letter, Much Too Late" is a deeply moving message to his mother, written 50 years after her death. It stands as a monument to the strength of his mom and her unwavering devotion to her sons, which enabled her to stay in a marriage with a deeply flawed individual. Stegner regrets not being able to express his love and admiration to her as a mature man. This essay touched me deeply, as I also miss my mom and wish she could have lived to see my wonderful children and the success Bill and I have achieved in our academic pursuits and professional careers. It served as a powerful reminder of the advice I often give to others: live your life with intention and keep your accounts short. Say "I love you" and "I'm sorry" more often. Live and love deeply, for we never know how long the people we love will be in our lives.

In the Habitat essays, "Thoughts on a Dry Land" was particularly informative about the arid West that I love and have called home for most of my adult life. One quote that really struck me was: "You have to get over the color green; you have to quit associating beauty with gardens and lawns; you have to get used to an inhuman scale; you have to understand geological time" (p. 54).

His critiques and observations on other Western writers have also expanded my reading list. I now plan to read MacLean's A River Runs Through It and Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath again. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to get a deep taste of Stegner's writing and the West that he held so dear.

I thought the essays regarding his own biography were the most significant in the book.

It is truly excellent to understand where a specific writer originated from, as it gives even greater meaning to the subsequent writings.

The sections on conservation were also quite good. We have repeatedly had to act as watchdogs for the likes of James Watts.

Indeed, never more so than at this current time, with the terrible destruction of our natural world that Trump and his cronies desired in order to make a short-lived profit.

As of this writing, Trump will be ousted from our precious democracy, and he can spend his disgraceful days all alone.

He has no sense of shame.

It is essential that we continue to be vigilant in protecting our environment and holding those accountable who seek to damage it for personal gain.

We must also work to ensure that our democracy remains strong and that leaders who lack integrity are not able to cause further harm.

Only by doing so can we hope to create a better future for ourselves and for generations to come.

This year, I found myself completely falling in love with Wallace. There is just something about him that speaks directly to my heart.

His essays are truly remarkable. They have this unique charm that makes you want to keep reading. However, there is also a slight risk that they might come across as a bit of a "then I wrote this" kind of thing.

Nonetheless, I can't help but be drawn to the time and the life that they so vividly depict. It's as if I am transported into a different world, experiencing everything right along with him.

The details he includes, the emotions he conveys, it all combines to create a truly captivating reading experience. I can't wait to see what else Wallace has in store for us in the future.

Really 4.5 stars.

This was my first venture into Stegner and I am so glad I picked it up!

It is a collection of essays he wrote regarding growing up, living and writing in the West. When I started it, I didn't have the intention of reading it all the way through. Instead, I planned to pick it up and read an essay once in a while. However, once I got started, I was completely hooked and didn't really want to stop.

The first section was so captivating that it made me long to go out into the wilderness and engage in activities like camping, hiking, and fishing. The second half was equally enticing, as it made me want to research the history of the areas, from land ownership to water ownership. By the end of the second section, I was already devising ways that I could teach this fascinating subject to future students. The third section, on the other hand, simply added to my ever-growing TBR list, as he talked about the different writers from the west.

His writing is truly inspiring. Not only is his prose style beautiful, but his passion for what he is writing about shines through on every page. He makes me love where I live all the more, and I can't wait to explore more of his works.