PRAIRYERTH: A DEEP MAP by William Least Heat-Moon. Houghton
Mifflin Company, 215 Park Avenue South, N.Y., NY 10003. Illus-
trated, maps. 624 pp., $13.95 paper. 0-395-63752-X
REVIEW
Three months on the New York Times best-seller list in
hardcover, Heat-Moon (real name William Trogdon - he adopted his
father's Osage name) proves that, even though more people live in
suburban areas than rural ones, they still love to read about the
country. The book is now out in a paperback edition.
In "PrairyErth," Heat-Moon (probably still tired from the
13,000 mile, 38 state trek he took in "Blue Highways,") elects to
stay in one county - Chase County, in central Kansas. The county
is the geographical center of the contiguous United States.
PrairyErth, a title out of a fantasy novel (could this be the
county where Anne McCaffey's city of Pern exists?), is a geological
term for the grassland soil found in the area.
Heat-Moon has cross-hatched the county and given a chapter to
each square. Each of the twelve chapters begins with several pages
of quotes, and proceeds with Heat-Moon's observations of the
geography (mostly cultural, since the land looks pretty-much the
same), the history, and the people. The book is filled not only
with observations, but most importantly, impressions.
As unchanging as is the land in Chase County, Heat-Moon has
unearthed a myriad of different inhabitants. Many who arrived on
the prairie were disappointed that it wasn't forested and tried to
change it. Most, though, tried to live with it, to learn from it.
Heat-Moon tries to let the county into not only his conscious-
ness, but his physical body, as when he puts a few limestone rocks
into his glass of water and drinks it down.
Toward the end of the book, Heat-Moon says the idea of white
"progress" has caused the development of a disrespect for
PrairyErth, and he pleas for the inhabitants to return to an
increased reverence for it.
"PrairyErth" is ponderous, but personal and wonderfully
written. Heat-Moon's images and characters stay with, and may
change you.