The Silver State
On the Trail of the Jackalope

No Charity in the Wilderness

No Charity in the Wilderness is a long journey into the new American West. From the southern border to the isolating two-lane highways in the desert, this collection is a prayer of reconciliation with so much that troubles us–those who live without resources or voices–and their possible future in this ever-changing landscape of desire.

Griffin has spent many decades in the high desert trying to find the way forward–when what he knows has been challenged and still there is breath on the horizon. One day an ancient Chinese poet comes to visit: “Snow deepens/ to quiet what I once believed, and Wang Wei stoops from the spine: / this is how you become silence.” Even if you doubt the old poet’s counsel, like Griffin, you want to journey with him into the wilderness.

More Non-Juvenile Books

  • It's 1836, and the Mexican province of Texas is in revolt.

  • In The Golem of Brooklyn, Len Bronstein, an art teacher with little knowledge of Judaism, accidentally brings a golem to life after stealing clay and getting high. As this nine-foot-six, Yiddish-speaking creature learns about contemporary crises, including the rise of white nationalism, it embodies the weight of Jewish history and trauma, prompting profound questions about humanity and identity.

    Read More about "The Golem of Brooklyn: A Novel"...

  • Discover the lyrical beauty of early American verse in "The Harp Of Delaware, Or, The Miscellaneous Poems Of The Milford Bard" by John Lofland. This collection presents a vibrant tapestry of 19th-century poetic expressions, reflecting the cultural and historical nuances of Delaware. Lofland, known as the Milford Bard, captures the essence of his time through evocative language and heartfelt themes.

  • In The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, James McBride explores the intertwined lives of the residents of Chicken Hill, a neighborhood where immigrant Jews and African Americans coexist amid struggles and secrets. As the community rallies to protect a deaf boy from institutionalization, the narrative reveals the deep bonds of love and resilience that sustain them, even in the face of adversity and the oppressive forces of society.

    Read More about "The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store"...