This is a real life story set in a vast land, the San Luis Valley of Colorado. It’s a huge flat prairie flanked by mountains, and it's far off the beaten path. Author Ted Conover takes us there in this Desideratum.
A desideratum is an essential thing and this story got me thinking about lots of essential things - like wide open spaces, what to do with a rattlesnake, the peace you find in silence, and the need for connection.
Ted Conover is perhaps best known for spending a year as a prison guard at the maximum security prison Sing Sing in New York. The book he wrote about that experience was called Newjack and it earned a National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction and made Ted a Pulitzer Prize Finalist. His work expands and deepens what we think of as Journalism. He submerges himself in often uncomfortable situations and then takes readers along with him.
Today we’re talking about his latest immersive experience and book called Cheap Land Colorado. In his observation of small details side by side with his big picture perspectives, he paints a very complete picture with his own voice as narrator in your ear.
I hope you enjoy getting to know Ted Conover as much as I have. I want to thank The Colorado Sun for shining their light on Ted’s work. I listen to the Sun's podcast called The Daily Sun-Up, and every Sunday I check out their SunLit feature for author spotlights. Sunlit editor Kevin Simpson often talks to authors on The Daily Sun-ups Friday podcast. Check it out at coloradosun.com or wherever you're listening to this podcast.
Ted will be in Denver for the Colorado Sun’s SunFest ideas conference. Here's a link for tickets: coloradosun.com/sunfest/
And here's a link to the La Puente organization Ted volunteers with so you find out more about the good work they do. lapuentehome.org/
One more big thank you to the audio publisher Random House Audio for the excerpt from Cheap Land Colorado. And, as always, thank you for listening.