"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
For all its brilliance, Let Us Build Us a City is nearly impossible to classify. It fuses the travel narrative with history and cultural studies--yet it reads like a novel. It's also a love story that is in no way fictional. Harington begins with a letter from a woman named Kim, who writes to praise his earlier book, Some Other Place, the Right Place. (Since the latter work is itself about a young couple's exploration of ghost towns and their subsequent romance, things immediately get off to a metafictional start.) Kim's letter leads to regular correspondence, in which she details the research she's conducting in one-horse towns throughout Arkansas. The author encourages her, she inspires him, and they agree to collaborate on a book--this one. By the time they meet, they too have learned something of expectation and hope. (Yes, they do get married, although you'll have to read the acknowledgments for details of the ceremony.)
Ultimately, Harington's book is a search for the spirit of each individual place--which is to say, the people. These lost towns are populated by dreamers, outcasts, prevaricators, drunks, madmen, and hermits. There are tales of floods, fires, gold rushes, gunshots, feuds, booms and (mostly) busts, along with other tidbits so strange they could only be true. By themselves, these would be deeply entertaining yarns. In Harington's hands, however, they amount to eloquent requiems for all his stunted cities. And perhaps these Arkansans traded in their dashed dreams for something better. After all, serenity is an admirable quality in a town, even if it happens to be an accidental one. --Shawn Carkonen
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
US$ 3.99
Within U.S.A.
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Seller Inventory # mon0002990657
Book Description Condition: Good. shelf wear, sticker on front cover Paperback Used - Good 2007 All purchases support Project HOME - ending homelessness in Philadelphia. Seller Inventory # CW04-000053
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Good. Seller Inventory # SONG1592642039
Book Description paperback. Condition: Good. No markings. Historic Oklahoma Bookstore on Route 66. Packages shipped daily, Mon-Fri. Seller Inventory # mon0000723485
Book Description Soft cover. Condition: As New. In as new condition with slight shelfwear to cover. A group portrait of 11 "lost towns" in Donald Harington's native Arkansas. Size: 5 1/ 2 x 8 1/2. Seller Inventory # 8450-42
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. LET US BUILD US A CITY: Eleven Lost Towns This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 7719-9781592642038
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 6545-9781592642038