![]() ![]() Childs explains, “I am not offering a guidebook to places, but a guidebook to context, meaning, and ways of seeing.” Thus, he gives no directions to particular spots, and he offers no particular textbook interpretations. The whole point is to look and to experience. Some rock art is best seen at dawn, others at sunset, by starlight, or even at the precise moment of winter solstice when a spiral uniquely reflects the sun’s rays. He picks his times carefully, too, coordinating with the sun’s path. He conveys that affinity in leisurely fashion, often taking hours to observe a single rock art panel, sometimes revisiting a special place day after day after day. Part of his authorial charm is his obvious love for the landscape. Not only did I learn about rock art from reading Tracing Time I also spent hours vicariously hiking the Colorado Plateau Canyon country, revisiting favorite spots and discovering many new ones.Ĭhilds has a keen descriptive eye. The result is my idea of a powerful book of nature writing. Tracing Time is my favorite! Childs has masterfully blended his personal observations with careful research and countless conversations with knowledgeable people. ![]() I have read most, if not all, of Craig Childs’ books about the American Southwest’s red rock country. Tracing Time, Childs brings the rock art of the Colorado Plateau Canyon country into a rich and moving focus. ![]()
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