Home Land

by Laura Pritchett, Richard L. Knight (Editor), Jeff Lee (Editor)

essays on new approaches to ranching and preserving western lands

Genres: Nonfiction

232 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2007

About the author

Laura Pritchett's seventh novel THREE KEYS is now available. Booklist has this to say: “A dedicated environmentalist and acclaimed nature writer, Pritchett’s keen observations of the world…are wondrous and lyrical, grounding her heroine’s journey in beauty and grace.”

Kirkus has this to say: “Engaging…thought-provoking and insightful. A satisfying examination of one woman’s journey of self-discovery.”


Pritchett is also the author of PLAYING WITH {WILD}FIRE (Torrey House, 2024), THE BLUE HOUR (Counterpoint, 2017), RED LIGHTNING (Counterpoint, 2015) STARS GO BLUE (Counterpoint, 2014), SKY BRIDGE (Milkweed Editions, 2009), and HELL'S BOTTOM, COLORADO (Milkweed Editions, 2001).

Known for championing the complex and contemporary West, giving voice to the working class, and re-writing the “Western,” her books have garnered the PEN USA Award, the Milkweed National Fiction Prize, the WILLA, the High Plains Book Award, several Colorado Book Awards, and others.

She’s also the author of one play, two nonfiction books, and editor of three environmental-based anthologies.

She developed and directs the MFA in Nature Writing at Western Colorado University, one of the few in the nation with a focus on environmental and place-based writing.

She earned her Ph.D. from Purdue University.

Her work has appeared in The New York Times, O Magazine, Salon, High Country News, The Millions, Publisher’s Weekly, The Sun, Brain, Child, and many others.

She is also known for her environmental stewardship, particularly in regard to land preservation and river health. You can find out more at her website www.laurapritchett.com or www.makingfriendswithdeath.com

Reviews

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF

[Tesia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to read this for a rangeland class, and to be perfectly honest I doubt I would have picked it up on my own. The essays and poems do foster memories of American roots and the plight of small family ranchers. While my heart aches to hear how small family ranches are left without resources or options, it is also a one-sided perspective from ranchers. Many of the writers discuss the concept of a "radical center" (finding solutions instead of focusing on winning arguments) in addressing threats to their lifestyle, but then go on to defend their position as correct and urbanites or environmentalists as ignorant. There are a few essays that discuss compromises on both ends, but most are a pat on the rancher's back and are riddled with the accusation that anyone who opposes them must have something against the American West. I would love to see family ranches and farms get more aid and consideration than large corporations. Absolutely. I also agree that it is a hard lifestyle, one that most people do only for the love of the work. The essays offer little solutions to the problems at hand and little success stories of rancher's who have faced obstacles and changed their style or behavior as well, which do exist out there!

Personally, I have a hard time defending ranchers because I do not believe from a nutritional perspective we need as much animal products as we demand. Nevertheless, I despise seeing factory farms running them out. But I think it is important to consider as well that maybe all environmentalists or conservationists aren't trying to undermine the American West. Maybe we aren't all white, wealthy, urbanites who seek conservation for our weekend camping trips in our SUVs before returning to our desk jobs. Maybe there are some people who care as much about salmon or frogs or birds as ranchers care about their cattle or sheep (those were the two most common types of ranching in the book). Overall, I believe the books cry for collaboration and respect is an ecological and cultural necessity even if it fails to adopt it for itself.

[Emily Wortman-Wunder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whether this book will accomplish its professed goal, to foster a "West that works" (and in which ranching has a vital role), is uncertain; however, after reading these poems and essays, I hope it does. There are some fantastic essays in here, some old, some new, and this book serves as a source book for some of the best writers on ranching currently at work. There is perhaps a little too much talk of the "radical center" for my taste (what does that term even mean, anyway?), but these pieces are sensible and heartfelt.

[Tattered Cover Book Store]

Longtime TC staff member and founder of the the Rocky Mountain Land Library Jeff Lee won a Colorado Book Award for "Home Land: Ranching and a West That Works" in the Anthology/Collection category. Jeff co-edited this book along with Laura Pritchett and Richard Knight. Congratulations to them all and epecially to Jeff for a well-deserved honor.

[Jackie]

Jeff is a co-worker of mine whose passion for the enviroment and the land is without equal. He founded the Rocky Moutain Land Library, a truly amazing collection of books, and he continues to bring cutting edge writers and thinkers into our stores to talk about the land, the world, and how to save it. He's an humble but impressive man. This is an award winning, important book.

[Tuck · Rating 3 out of 5]

all from the ranchers perspective, so real pro meat raising, but some good insights and anecdots about how some places are trying to save ranchs as last open places in face of sprawl/exurban cancer, and eat local/sustainable movement.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved loved loved this book. It's a set of essays--really liked the selection of authors, different writing and types of essays. Friend of mine lent this to me.