Dear HCN,
As a recent graduate of
Utah State University in Logan, Utah, I must report my bewilderment
upon reading your characterization of my former home: “Nowadays,
Logan is a smaller version of Boulder, Colo. Trophy homes glisten
along the foothills of the Wasatch Range; students buy double
lattés before class, and go jogging on recreational trails or
listen to live rock bands outside the student union after class’
(HCN, 1/31/00: Searching for
pasture).
Huh?!
From my
perspective, Logan has become a smaller version of Sandy, Utah.
Oversized family homes glisten along the foothills of the Bear
River Range; students buy Aggie Ice Cream and thick slices of
homemade white bread before and after going to class, and go
driving up the canyon or listen to Faith Hill in their basement
apartments.
Lisa Jones’ description reveals a
problem with your tendency to see the “New West” everywhere, and to
overlook continuity within stories of
change.
Jared Farmer
Stanford, California
P.S. Just read
your review (HCN, 4/10/00: A new generation comes to terms with
Lake Powell) of my book. One clarification: The dam inundated not
seven but 170 miles of river!
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Make mine a double cone.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
