Winter Count

I know Lopez's writing from the wonderful non-fiction book [Arctic Dreams]. This is something else, a series of short stories set in the various wilderness places he knows. Settings include American desert, remote farmland, beaches, and one set in Spain. His writing is lyrical, sometimes (perhaps) a little overwritten, but I found the stories quite immersive, sometimes mystical, and eminently rereadable. It will stay on my shelf.

A collection of short thoughts-essays from his experiences across America in the 1950's and 1960's. Read over a few months. I enjoyed Arctic Dreams. His writing in that collection was insightful and almost spiritual. These were smoothly written, had some interesting historic points and occasionally some personal meanings but Sam Shepherd's writing had more bite and was less dreamy.

Except for a couple of stories, I kind of loved this book.

I found this book pretty near incomprehensible.

My favorite book.