14 Comments
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Wes Pittman's avatar

It’s one of my favorite books and I think it’s time I read it again. And I simply need to take it off my bookshelf. Thanks for the reminder of its greatness.

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Lorelei's avatar

Thank you, Josh. Blue Highways fell off a shelf in front of me as well, when I was a kid wandering a library, waiting for my mother to finish taking a class. I've been meaning to re-visit it for years. Now is clearly is the time.

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John Yuda's avatar

Such an amazing book. I read it just before embarking on my own cross-country drive in 2001. We happened to follow some of Heat-Moon's route. I can confirm that approaching the Vermillion Cliffs to the Kaibab is as moving as he describes in the book.The universe must be telling me to read it again.

There's a photography book by a father and son team: Edgar Ailor III and IV called Blue Highways Revisited. They retraced Heat-Moon's route 30 years later and photographed it. It's worth checking out for Heat-Moon's forward and photos of Ghost Dancing alone, but many of the photographs are also excellent.

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Wmson's avatar

A to-read addition to my list.

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Niclas Lindhe's avatar

Thanks for the tip! Just ordered it from a used book shop 🙏🏼❤️

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Josh Ritter's avatar

Hell yeah!

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Carol's avatar

<3 ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜❤️ to read ya!

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Mike's avatar

You were just in my original hometown of Louisville?!??? I’m now an hour and 45 minutes south in Bowling Green, but dang! I’ll have to swing by Claudia’s as I’ve never heard of it, but being 25 years removed from my home(?) city, that doesn’t surprise me. Also…how was the beer with hot sauce? I’m intrigued.

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staciemichelle's avatar

Sometimes when I’m sad I haven’t been to more countries, haven’t traveled abroad more often, I remind myself of the many places I’ve visited or lived in across the U.S. — it’s been A LOT. And it refreshes my sense of luck and privilege to have spent time in almost every state - many on repeat - whether driving (lord I’ve driven across much of this land) or flying (dipping in and out of one place repeatedly). There’s an endless amount of new experiences and perspectives awaiting us, if we simply go looking…and it turns out we don’t have to go very far for them.

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kawnshelly's avatar

I've been carrying a quote from this book in my wallet since 1995. "A (wo)man becomes what he does." -- Madison Wheeler. Thanks for refreshing my memory of it. Time to pass it on to my son.

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S Farrow's avatar

Love the Painting too! 💖

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S Farrow's avatar

PS… Come to Vancouver Island, BC sometime. In all your spare time that you obviously have— NOT— but seriously you’ll love it.

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Matt Conte's avatar

You mentioned this book to me and my friends after a show in Montclair, NJ in April 2009. I've often checked for it in bookstores but never seen it. Maybe I'll finally just order it online and read it!

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Jennifer Moore's avatar

Your writing (art making and music) has provided a steady stream of inspiration in my corner of the world for many years! Looking forward to reading Blue Highways before summer's end.

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