First published in 1995, this assemblage of interviews, bibliographies, excerpts, and criticism on fourteen of the Southwest's most important authors has been updated and expanded. The accompanying 74-minute compact disc provides excerpts from the authors. Tony Hillerman discusses how blindness in the army helped shape his writings; Terry McMillan explains her start as a writer and why she thought, when she was young, that African-Americans didn't write books. Each recorded interview ranges from 4 to 10 minutes.
Reviews of the first edition:
"Much more than an ordinary compilation. . . . A vivid composite of the region's best-known writers, Writing the Southwest is an excellent sampling of unique viewpoints and deep roots."-Publishers Weekly
"The writers included here . . . represent the vital ethnic mixture of the Southwest past and present. . . . For modern literature students, as well as those who are curious about the backgrounds of some of their favorite writers, this is a good choice."--Kliatt