Paul Mirocha

A groundbreaking book that melds art and science, this collection is sure to become the new classic, offering up the next generation of voices of this special place, the Sonoran Desert. More than fifty poets and writers respond to as many species of this stunning desert. Each creative contribution is joined by an illustration and scientific information, creating a new form of Sonoran Desert field guide.

Winner of the John Burroughs Medal for natural history writing, Gathering the Desert profiles twelve edible wild plants found in the Sonoran Desert to demonstrate just how bountiful the land can be. Gary Paul Nabhan has combed the desert in search of plants forgotten by all but a handful of American Indians and Mexican Americans. Each chapter focuses on a particular plant and is accompanied by an original drawing by artist Paul Mirocha. Word and picture together create a total impression of plants and people as the book traces the turn of seasons in the desert.