Craig Childs talk set for Monday

NPR commentator Craig Childs, together with writer and radio personality Angus Stocking, will deliver a multimedia presentation based on a chapter in Child's latest book project. The event is a fundraiser for the Blue Sage Center for the Arts in Paonia.

"The research for this book was grueling," said Childs, "I'm writing about catastrophic environmental change, and traveled to places like the Greenland Ice Sheet and the Atacama Desert in Chile, which is the driest place on earth. I wanted to experience these places first hand. I was part of larger teams for most of those trips, but when it came to spending several days in an Iowa cornfield, during a heat wave, I couldn't find anyone at all to go with me... until Angus volunteered."

Childs and Stocking spent three days camping and hiking in one of Iowa's largest cornfields to gain a first-hand understanding of the extreme monoculture environment created by modern farming techniques. Their trip coincided with the record-breaking heat and humidity of last summer's "heat dome" event. "In some ways, it was the most grueling journey I've ever undertaken," says Childs, "And I've been to some pretty rough places!"

"The humidity and heat and omnipresent corn were kind of crazy-making," adds Stocking, "Frankly, at the time, it seemed like one of Craig's stupider ideas. But, anything for his art..."

Childs and Stocking have fashioned the resulting conversations, writings, and video into a two-hour presentation that explores the Midwest landscape's sudden, catastrophic transition from tall grass prairie to corn-based monoculture. Highlights include a reading from Child's forthcoming book, video, new monologues from both writers, and unscripted dialogue.

Corn! will take place 7:30 pm, Friday, May 11, at the Blue Sage Center for the Arts at 226 Grand Avenue, Paonia,. Tickets are $15 and childcare is available at the event. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.bluesage.org or call (970) 527-7243.

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