With its vast vistas, splendid sunsets, and rich history, the American Southwest has always inspired superb writing. Travelers’ Tales Southwest features a selection of some of the best. Tony Hillerman explores the wonders of Canyon de Chelly, while Douglas Preston takes the reader on a poignant journey into the land of the Hopi. Barbara Kingsolver learns how to live in harmony with the desert, and Barbara Beckwith joins the secret world of Native American pottery hunters. The book covers a wide physical and mythic terrain, with essays on director John Ford’s dramatic use of Monument Valley, and the Mad Monks’ bizarre excursion through “Planet Nevada.”