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Discussion Theme

Exploring the West ... Whose West?

Summary of the Theme
The American West no longer offers one story, but many. The record of the interactions between the very different peoples who produced today’s West offers us a more honest creation myth, a story truly shared.

Book List

  • Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken Past of the American West, by Patricia Limerick
  • Angle of Repose, by Wallace Stegner
  • Reservation Blues, by Sherman Alexie
  • Last Refuge: The Environmental Showdown in the American West, by Jim Robbins
  • On Gold Mountain: The 100-Year Odyssey of a Chinese-American Family, by Lisa See

Program Brochure
The humanities scholar's essay was written by Patricia Nelson Limerick and Hannah Nordhaus, Center of the American West, University of Colorado, Boulder.

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   Scholar's essay, annotated book list, and supplementary texts (pdf)*

"How To" Discussion Programming Guide
Developed to aid participants in “The Millennium Project for Public Libraries,” this programming guide provides basic information about developing and promoting book discussion programs.


* The American Library Association is the copyright owner of this essay and annotations. The credit lines embedded in the program materials and/or sponsor and funder logos must remain on all published (print and web) materials derived from these materials.