Books, Noted
Visions of America: Landscape as Metaphor in the Late 20th Century
A large format book of a 1994 exhibition called Landscape As Metaphor, organized by the Denver Art Museum and the Columbus Museum of Art, featuring the work of Meg Webster, Bill Viola, Richard Misrach, Ed Ruscha, and others. Essays by the likes of Rebecca Solnit, John Beardsley, and Lucinda Furlong.
Paydirt: The Spirit of Canadian Mining
Iona Wright and Charles Pelley, 1996
A wonderful, lucid photo and text look at the contemporary mining scene in Canada.
Walking the Line: Travels Along the Canadian/American Border
Marion Botsford Fraser, 1989 A well researched and observant account of 18 months the author spent exploring the international boundary, noting both the physical characteristics and the social context of the entire length of the border.
Interpretation of Historic Sites, Second Edition
William T. Alderson and Shirley Payne Low, 1985
A handbook for designers and managers of interpretive, historical exhibits. The only book of its kind.
Between the Fences
Gregory K. Dreicer, editor, 1996
A thin but indispensible history of fences, published by Princeton and the National Building Museum.
Once Upon A Desert
Patricia Jernigan Keeling, Editor, 1976/1994
A book about the social and industrial history of Mojave Desert. A compilation, really, of assorted brief historical accounts, mostly by local folks. Nothing like it, that's for sure. Published by the Mojave River Valley Museum, in Barstow, California.
Collaborative Communities: Cohousing, Central Living, And Other New Forms of Housing With Shared Facilities
Dorit Fromm, 1991
An intersting look at the subject, with many national and international case studies.
Landscape and Memory
Simon Schama, 1995
A romantic intellectual account of the history of landscape awareness. A handsome volume.
Landscape in America
George F. Thompson, Editor, 1995
An interesting collection of contemporary essays about the American Landscape, and perceptions thereof.
The City, Los Angeles and Urban Theory at the End of the Twentieth Century
Edited by Allen J. Scott and Edward W. Soja, 1996
New, eclectic, lefty, and meaty book of essays on LA, mostly from a political and social academic point of view. 13 essays by Edward Soja, Mike Davis, and others, including the blockbuster "High Technology Industrial Development in the San Fernando Valley and Ventura County: Observations on Economic Growth and the Evolution of Urban Form."
Raw Creation: Outsider art and Beyond
John Maizels, 1996
Perhaps the best anthology and history of "outsider art" and "visionary environments".
Desert Shadows, A True Story of the Manson Family in Death Valley
Bob Murphy, 1993
Offers a wonderful account of the Family's activities in the desert. Written by a National Park Service officer involved in tracking the Family in the Death Valley region.
World Guide to Nude Beaches
Lee Baxandall, 1991
Self explanatory. And yes, it's illustrated.