American Oasis : Finding the Future in the Cities of the Southwest

Long Now Boston and the Harvard Bookstore welcomed journalist Kyle Paoletta for a packed reading and discussion of his new book, American Oasis: Finding the Future in the Cities of the American Southwest"  (which was officially released by Pantheon that same day). Paoletta grew up in Albuquerque, but only recognized the strangeness of the region after he left it for other parts of the country. Indeed, observing life in five scorched metropolises gave him myriad insights into how humans adapted and continue to adapt to privations such as extreme heat, depleted soil, and paucity of water. In conversation with his friend and editor at Sierra Magazine Julia Sklar, ultimately Paoletta framed his hope for a viable human future around Las Vegas’s exemplary municipal husbanding of water, which has, surprisingly, enabled the population to burgeon without increasing water usage. He also discussed the multicultural nature of the Southwest, and how coexisting in a dense urban environment can lead to efficient resource use, but also an understanding of how others live. Penetrating conversations about the deep history and uncertain future of the region and indeed all urban environments lingered long afterward, and floated out onto the sidewalk and beyond.