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y Ann Haver-Allen
Alumnus shares his secret
Craig Childs entertains Prescott College crowd with
Some may categorize the
writings of Craig
Childs *99 as adventure
travel. Others call it natural
history. Still others argue
that his style of writing is actually
lyrical prose. Amazon.com
lists his books under civil engineering
at civilbooks.com.
Maybe it’s Childs’ ability to
avoid well-defined categories
that makes his books so readable
and appealing to such
varied audiences.
Childs has spent many years
in the deserts of the Southwest
—as an adventurer, a river
guide, and an adjunct professor
in field sciences at Prescott
College. He has developed an
intimate knowledge of the
desert and the role water plays
in shaping the landscape and
life.
Childs, who earned his master’s
degree in desert studies
from Prescott College in 1999,
was back on campus as the
keynote speaker for the August
2004 Master of Arts Program
(MAP) colloquium. He shared
some of his experiences with a
standing-room only crowd in
Sam Hill.
In his talk, “The secret knowledge
of water: An evening of
About the author
Craig Childs is winner of the
Colorado Book Award and the
Spirit of the West Literary
Achievement Award, given to a
writer whose body of work captures
the unique spirit of the
American West. He frequently
contributes commentary to
National Public Radio’s
Morning Edition. He has written
for Outside, Audubon,
Sierra, Backpacker, Arizona
10 TransitionsFall 2004
Photo by Ann Haver-Allen
Prescott College alumnus Craig Childs was the keynote speaker
for the August Master of Arts Program colloquium. Childs
autographed copies of his latest book, The Secret Knowledge of
Water, for attendees.
flash floods and water holes,”
Childs took the audience deep
into the Sonoran Desert and
into remote desert canyons in
search of water.
“When you dream of a place
Highways, High Country
News, and the Los Angeles
Times.
He is the author or coauthor
of nine books, including The
Secret Knowledge of Water:
Discovering the Essence of the
American Desert, Soul of
Nowhere, Stone Desert: A
Naturalist’s Exploration of
Canyonlands National Park,
Crossing Paths: Uncommon
that has no water, what do you
see?” he asked. “Do you see a
dead place? A barren place? A
desert? Do you think of a road
going nowhere? A horizon that
offers nothing?”
Encounters With Animals in
the Wild, Grand Canyon: Time
Below the Rim, Colorado, The
Desert Cries: A Season of Flash
Floods in a Dry Land, The
Southwest’s Contrary Land:
Forever Changing Between
Four Corners and the Sea of
Cortes, and Grand Canyon
Stories: Then and Now.
He lives with his wife and
son in western Colorado.