One of the more famous examples of this type of genre of literature is James A. And gives vitality and deep explanation to the place, people and culture that are depicted. When written well, the events and people may or may not have happened as portrayed…but the overall arcs and experiences are often true.

In short, history told well makes the past seem muscular and vital and not dry and dusty.Īnd this is why I seem to enjoy historical fiction. Where the people of the past aren’t just something to be read about in a text but are living, breathing people as complex, motivated and as full of contradictions as we are today. Knowing they left, more than likely, due to depleting the resources found in their rapidly changing environment is something applicable to our current situation in the American West.Īnd, with the right way of telling a story, history can be an intriguing and gripping tale. Knowing that the Ancestral Pueblo people lived in Chaco Canyon eight-hundred years ago is good. Knowing the cause and reasons for many aspects of the past often help explain our present condition. But rather the “ how and the why” of history.

Not just the dry recitation of facts: The “ Who did what and when” lessons many of us were subjected to in school. There is one other passion of mine that occasionally overlaps with my other two: history. The love of the outdoors is an obvious one as much of my free time is spent outdoors (or writing about it).įood and cooking is something that is a bedrock of my cultural upbringing. The food, the ritual, the sharing…all aspects that echo well into my adulthood. I have three passions in my life that were sparked in childhood. “Only the rocks live forever, Gray Wolf said.”

Winter trip reports, gear overviews, tips, and techniques.

Road trip and car camping – gear and techniques.

Centennial by James A. Michener