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Barren, Wild, and Worthless: Living in the Chihuahuan Desert
Appearing barren and most definitely wild, the Chihuahuan Desert of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States may look worthless to some, but for Susan Tweit it is an inspiration. In this collection of seven elegant personal essays, she explores undiscovered facets of this seemingly hostile environment. With eloquence, passion, and insight, she describes and reflects on the relationship between the land, history, and people and makes this underappreciated region less barren for those who would share her journeys.
221 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 11, 2009
I have many favorite authors: Barry Lopez, Edward Abbey, Terry Tempest Williams, Gary Nabhan, and a host of others along a similar genre. Every once in awhile I am fortunate enough to come across an author whose work speaks to my very soul. Susan Tweit is just such a writer. I was gifted with this beautiful book by Susan herself along with a lovely note plus signature on the title page. This book not only describes Susan's life in the Chihuahuan Desert where she had been living but is very similar to life in the Sonoran Desert where I currently live. My time here in this desert has been a love/hate relationship for me. This book is giving me pause to look at the desert from a slightly different perspective and while I will probably never develop a total love for this place I am developing a good understanding and a respect that I would not otherwise have found. I thank Susan for this lovely gift.
November 2, 2022
An exploration of the Chihuahuan Desert from the vantage point of Las Cruces, New Mexico, where the author and her family move in the 1990’s. Both historical exploration and current description of both the natural and human history, Tweit takes on the history of the Mimbres River, the saga of the last of the Grizzly Bears in the area, Spadefoot Toads and Illegal Immigrants.
It is a story like virtually every other in North America: Europeans come, commandeer the land and in a ham-handed way drive the native ecosystems and native peoples into wreck and ruin. I’m reading this book almost 30 years after the original 1995 publication and I’m curious how it has changed, and by that I mean what stirrings of a new environmental consciousness might be sprouting in the desert.
It is a story like virtually every other in North America: Europeans come, commandeer the land and in a ham-handed way drive the native ecosystems and native peoples into wreck and ruin. I’m reading this book almost 30 years after the original 1995 publication and I’m curious how it has changed, and by that I mean what stirrings of a new environmental consciousness might be sprouting in the desert.
September 2, 2024
Un libro lleno de historias sobre los habitantes vegetales y animales del desierto Chihuahuense. Como le dice Diedre a la autora casi al final del libro: “He aprendido cosas que no sabía que no sabía. Cosas importantes.” Un libro obligado para todos aquellos que habitamos en el desierto y tenemos ganas de entenderlo y convivir mejor con él.
February 23, 2024
I savored this quiet gem of a book, and it will stay on my shelf forever.
August 2, 2008
The natural history and regional history of the Chihuahuan desert areas. Great stuff.
May 1, 2017
No one can bring a barren desert alive like Susan J. Tweit. But what appears to be a barren wasteland isn’t. In Barren, Wild and Worthless: Living in the Chihuahuan Desert, Tweit explains in fascinating detail what appears to be a worthless expanse, really is vibrant with all manner of life. But you have to know what to look for and when you’re apt to see it.
North America’s largest desert, the Chihuahuan spreads 175,000 square miles in northern Mexico and southwest United States. Most of the Chihuanhuan Desert is in Mexico with fingers reaching into Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Although the desert is not known for its beauty, when observed close up, magic is revealed. A variety of birds flit from creosote bush to bush, jackrabbits seek succulent plants, wildflowers and cactus bloom into magnificence with the slightest bit of rain. In the cool of the night, many desert inhabitants come to life. Bats, owls, scorpions, termites, snakes, rats and mice, to name only a few, scurry around prowling for food. Plants, too, adjust to desert harshness with blazing hot days and freezing cold nights, but will eventually show their splendor.
The author describes an intriguing little amphibian, the spadefoot toad, that remains underground for long periods of time, surfacing when it rains, and collecting moisture through its skin.
Educated as a botanist, Susan J. Tweit views the desert scientifically. Tweit, her husband, who taught at New Mexico State University, and daughter lived in Las Cruces, New Mexico while writing this book. Her first impression was disappointment in their bleak surroundings, but she soon began looking closer and learning about her new home.
The Chihuahuan Desert wasn’t always like it is today. Humans have changed the landscape with their large ranches and overgrazing cattle, beaver trapping, diverting water for farm crops, and grizzlies hunted to extinction. Tweit emphasis the importance of cooperating with nature, respecting the land, and taking only what is needed. Cooperation instead of competition benefits both man and nature.
Barren, Wild and Worthless gave me a lot to think about. I’ll view so-called wasteland differently and treat it with more respect. The book also gave me some chuckles, with the author’s view on the desert’s inhabitants and their means of survival.
To learn more about the author, visit http://susanjtweit.com/
North America’s largest desert, the Chihuahuan spreads 175,000 square miles in northern Mexico and southwest United States. Most of the Chihuanhuan Desert is in Mexico with fingers reaching into Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Although the desert is not known for its beauty, when observed close up, magic is revealed. A variety of birds flit from creosote bush to bush, jackrabbits seek succulent plants, wildflowers and cactus bloom into magnificence with the slightest bit of rain. In the cool of the night, many desert inhabitants come to life. Bats, owls, scorpions, termites, snakes, rats and mice, to name only a few, scurry around prowling for food. Plants, too, adjust to desert harshness with blazing hot days and freezing cold nights, but will eventually show their splendor.
The author describes an intriguing little amphibian, the spadefoot toad, that remains underground for long periods of time, surfacing when it rains, and collecting moisture through its skin.
Educated as a botanist, Susan J. Tweit views the desert scientifically. Tweit, her husband, who taught at New Mexico State University, and daughter lived in Las Cruces, New Mexico while writing this book. Her first impression was disappointment in their bleak surroundings, but she soon began looking closer and learning about her new home.
The Chihuahuan Desert wasn’t always like it is today. Humans have changed the landscape with their large ranches and overgrazing cattle, beaver trapping, diverting water for farm crops, and grizzlies hunted to extinction. Tweit emphasis the importance of cooperating with nature, respecting the land, and taking only what is needed. Cooperation instead of competition benefits both man and nature.
Barren, Wild and Worthless gave me a lot to think about. I’ll view so-called wasteland differently and treat it with more respect. The book also gave me some chuckles, with the author’s view on the desert’s inhabitants and their means of survival.
To learn more about the author, visit http://susanjtweit.com/
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews