Description:
From Lake Coeur d'Alene to its confluence with the Columbia, the Spokane River travels 111 miles of varied and often spectacular terrain--rural, urban, in places wild. The river has been a trading and gathering place for Indigenous peoples for thousands of years. With bountiful trout, accessible swimming holes, and challenging rapids, it is a recreational magnet for residents and tourists alike. The Spokane also bears the legacy of industrial growth and remains caught amid interests competing over natural resources.
The contributors to this collection profile this living river through personal reflection, history, science, and poetry. They bring a keen environmental awareness of resource scarcity, climate change, and cultural survival tied to the river's fate.
Brief description: Paul Lindholdt is professor of English at Eastern Washington University. He is the author of Explorations in Ecocriticism (Lexington Books, 2015), In Earshot of Water (University of Iowa Press, 2011) which won the 2012 Washington State Book Award, The Canoe and the Saddle (University of Nebraska Press, 2006), and John Josselyn, Colonial Traveler (University Press of New England, 1988).
Review Quotes:
"The collection's diverse viewpoints make it a valuable starting point for further research. As an introduction to the Spokane River and surrounding region, these essays let readers get their feet wet--and encourage them to wade in further."
-- "Western Historical Quarterly"