Arizona for Newcomers

What is it that makes Arizona unique, that gives it a different flavor from neighboring New Mexico, California, Utah, Colorado, Sonora, and Chihuahua? In part the answer lies in Arizona’s longstanding habit of absorbing influences from its neighbors in matters such as architecture, music, and cuisine, incorporating them into an already vibrant tradition made up of influences taken from around the globe, and serving up a blend of visual arts, literature, and folk life that is unlike any other. In part it’s because Arizonans, throughout history, have insisted on being different—and in surprising and delightful ways. Tailored to newcomers to Arizona, this humor-laden talk is an introduction to those various traditions and to sources for the further exploration of Arizona’s culture and all the things that make it unlike any other.

Gregory McNamee is a writer, editor, photographer, and publisher. He is the author of 40 books and more than 6,000 articles and other publications. He is a contributing editor to the Encyclopædia Britannica, a research fellow at the Southwest Center of the University of Arizona, and a lecturer in the Eller School of Management, at the University of Arizona. For more about him, visit his web page at www.gregorymcnamee.com.