Reading Colorado: A Literary Road Guide

Take a drive into the literary landscape of Colorado. Meet Kent Haruf’s bachelor ranchers in the Eastern Plains, ride the old cattle trails with Larry McMurtry, rail against nuclear weapons with Allen Ginsberg, go drinking at jazz clubs with Jack Kerouac, climb the highest peaks with Isabella Bird and Enos Mills, explore the cave dwellings of Mesa Verde with Willa Cather. Reading Colorado, a high-octane road trip through the diverse literary landscapes of Colorado, highlights the words of native people, the journals of exploration, the stories of early mining and agricultural frontiers, urban tales reflecting the emergence and growth of Denver and the Front Range, and a diverse range of contemporary voices, from the Plains to the Peaks, who invite the reader into their home towns. The travel guide format is perfect for exploring the Centennial state in a hammock strung between pines, on the couch with your feet kicked up by the fire, or by hitting the road with your favorite traveling companion. The guide includes many writers not yet anthologized and others who have become household names, and the place-based focus makes it easy to jump around to the parts of Colorado you’re most interested in. It will deepen personal maps and enhance road trips for residents, visitors, and armchair travelers alike.