That Desert Ain't Deserted!

Gathering the Desert
By Gary Nabhan

Published in 1990 by Univeristy of Arizona Press
Today's Assigned Reading: Pages 3-19
Otherwise known as "Desert Plants as Calories, Cures and Characters", and "The Creosote Bush Is Our Drugstore"

This week's reading was of two literary sketches about Opata Indians and their historical relationship with the natural flora of the Sonoran Desert. Moderately scientific but not unenjoyable, these pages are a narrative on the culture and plants from the perspective of research scientist and ethnobotanist Gary Nabhan.

As a result, this reading was oddly formal and yet because it was told in the form of a story this piece very enjoyable to read. I think because of this the scientific information and botanical facts that the author was trying to inform people about stuck more thoroughly in my memory. That is to say, I think the style of writing represent by "Gathering the Desert" is an excellent way of getting otherwise boring or dry information across and making it accessible - and desirable - to the general public.

For example, would you rather read "Sweet, like carob or chocolate pudding in flavour and texture, the mesquite-pod atole was a special treat for by botanist friend who had known that the pods were an important ancient food, but had no idea how they were customarily prepared" (p 4), or "Mesquite-pod atole is an ancient food that tastes sweet like chocolate pudding". NO! This second sentence is BORING!

In light of this delightful narration interwoven with scientific facts, I especially enjoyed both the stories and the botanical info behind the many plants of the Sonoran desert (p5-7) and the ancient creosote bush called "King Clone" (p12-13). Additionally I found the historical uses of creosote very interesting (which, let me tell you, make the plant sound like the cure for all disease) (p14-15), as well as the tale of the "thermonuclear explosion nicknamed "Sedan"(p19). That is to say, in 1962 at the blast site, the previously growing creosote bushes were obliterated, but then ten years later it was determined that - WITHIN the radioactive test area - the very same shrubs had re-sprouted and continued to thrive!!

Overall I found this reading to be very intriguing and left me thinking about it for several hours after I read it, coming up with questions and continuing to wonder at its content and meanings.