A backyard to be proud of
Two regional books that celebrate the land dear to us
By ADAM TANOUS
Express Arts Editor
Mention Idaho to people out of state and they will likely respond with,
"potatoes." It is true, a lot of potatoes are grown here. And you could spend
hours trying to convince your out-of-state friends that there is quite a bit more to the
state than things that grow underground.
The other alternative is to provide them with a copy of Kirk
Anderson’s new book of photography, Idaho Discovered. Anderson’s book,
published by Stoecklein Publishing, reveals a land as diverse as it is striking.
Even longtime residents will be astounded by the land of this state.
Anderson, a resident of Ketchum, has spent most of his life in the Rocky Mountains. And it
shows in his work. He doesn’t fall into the trap that many outdoor photographers
do--shooting the picturesque to the point of its becoming mundane. Anderson’s book
relies more on composition, light and the dynamic weather of Idaho.
He has divided the book into geographic regions: northern, central,
southwest and southeast. Each section is introduced by either Frank Rowland, a resident of
Hailey, or Clarence Stilwill, of Fairfield. Both have spent many years studying and
exploring Idaho. Their short essays give some relevant history and geography of each area.
What is so striking about the book is that Anderson finds beauty in places
most of us would blow by at 60 mph or never think to visit at a certain time of year. For
example, a shot of the hills above Riggins in spring is spectacular; a wind-swept and
frozen Corral, Idaho, in winter is as dramatic as it is beautiful.
Anderson has several shots of agricultural land and buildings that
transform a wheat or canola field into something more abstract and aesthetically
interesting. It is apparent from the work that Anderson didn’t just go to pretty
places. He spent some time, waiting for the right light or weather to get these images.
Some other highlights include photographs of lichen-covered rocks at City of Rocks,
panoramas of Swan Valley and a shot of spring runoff racing through a volcanic river
channel.
This book is one that might bring longtime residents of the state to
marvel at Idaho’s geographic and climatological diversity. One has to wonder: Can all
of these scenes possibly be from the same state? And, in a way, that is the charm of
Idaho. It is a land that still seems vast and unexplored. There is a lot to discover
still, and Anderson’s book is one way to get a peek into a rich land that is
sometimes beyond our daily routine.
Backtracking: By Foot, Canoe and Subaru Along the Lewis and Clark
Trail, (Sasquatch Books) by Montana journalist Benjamin Long, is an update on
the status of the flora and fauna along the famed trail 200 years after Lewis and Clark
discovered and catalogued more than 300 species of animals and plants on their journey
west.
In each of 11 chapters, Long takes a fresh look at an animal and how it is
faring, including the American bison, grizzly bear, white sturgeon and Clark’s
nutcracker.
Not only is the book informative—weaving together historical facts
and the couple’s modern-day experiences—but it is written in a simple but
engrossing prose. Long begins his chapter "A Precious Pestilence" with this
description: "Only the name of this high-plains town—Malta—and perhaps the
ferocious sunlight, reminded me of anything remotely Mediterranean. Everything else was
straight Montana. Grain elevators. Brick school. Cowboy bar. The surrounding plains, flat
as the bottom of an ocean. After all, that’s what they are—the bottom of an
ancient seaway that covered the Great Plains under leagues of saltwater. Later, these
plains supported short-grass prairie and unfathomable herds of bison. Today, they grow
wheat for two dollars a bushel."
Long is adept at taking an ostensibly boring subject—the cataloging
of several biological species—and turning it into a relevant topic people will enjoy
reading about. While Long has not written an extremely technical book, he manages to tie
in the roles of habitat and the changing face of the West to shed light on the diminishing
species of animals in this territory.
