In search of the Great Arizona Novel

Recently Chapman University  professor and author Tom Zoellner (formerly of Arizona) wrote an article “Why is there no great Arizona novel?” which appeared on August 3, 2015 in the Phoenix New Times.  Here’s the link to the article:  http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts/why-is-there-no-great-arizona-novel-7530944

Tom Zoellner
Tom Zoellner

Many of us remember Tom Zoellner for writing that gripping nonfiction Tucson book “A Safeway in Tucson” about the Tucson Tragedy mass shooting and assassination attempt on then-CD 8 Congresswoman Gabby Giffords,  and the killing of 6 and wounding of 13 others. Many of us knew Gabby (as did Zoellner on her campaign trails), and I even recently played mah jong with one of the victims.

In his article Zoellner raised the provocative question about there being no great Arizona novel.  I pondered this myself during the Arizona Centennial in 2012, when the UA published this list “Arizona 100: Essential Books of the Centennial”: http://speccoll.library.arizona.edu/online-exhibits-dynamic/az100/docs/brochure.pdf.  At that time I thought that Edward Abbey’s “The Monkey Wrench Gang” which is #1 on that list was probably the best of the fiction included.  Zoellner does list Abbey’s book as one of his 15 suggestions on the bottom of his article. Here’s Zoellner’s list:

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