Aridtopia:
Essays on Art & Culture from Deserts in  the Southwest United States

Author: Tyler Stallings

Aridtopia: Essays on Art & Culture from Deserts in the Southwest United States is a literary mirage that fuses present day reality and a future imaginary which repositions our view of the world from that of the desert. Aridtopia explores utopian communities, water rights, the L.A. Aqueduct, and even the desert as a stand-in for the terrain of would-be astronauts to Mars.

Supporting quotes:

“The desert is a place where Native American and settler conflicts, water and land-use issues, survivalists, military bases, experimental aircraft launches, and so much more converge in a new consciousness, which Aridtopia so deftly observes.”


 — Deanne Stillman, author of Desert Reckoning, Twentynine Palms, and Mustang.

“Tyler Stallings traces the burgeoning contemporary arts and culture scene in the deserts of the southwest. While the region lacks water, it is far from being a cultural desert, as Stallings’ Aridtopia explores a creative environment that fosters the spirit of innovation and expansive imaginations as vast as the infinite horizon.”
— Drew Tewksbury, Managing Editor / Producer Artbound on KCET

“Stallings’ Aridtopia blends cultural criticism, personal observation, and an artistic sensibility. Today, it seems so much is happening in the deserts around the globe. Perhaps Aridtopia is destined to become a guidebook from a desert point of view?”
— Greg Esser, Director, Desert Initiative Director, Arizona State University

Excerpt from Aridtopia

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front cover of Aridtopia