William Least Heat-Moon’s ‘Roads to Quoz’

Travel Blog  •  Jim Benning  •  10.30.08 | 12:17 PM ET

imageThe writer who gave us the classic “Blue Highways” has written a new travel book about some recent journeys in the United States. The Los Angeles Times calls Roads to Quoz: An American Mosey “a lucid if looping account of three years of wanderings that covered some 16,000 miles, mostly in the company of the author’s wife.” The Aspen Times finds that Heat-Moon is “still quick-witted and keenly observant, if a little grandfatherly, and his notes from the American road still contain equal parts humor and wisdom.”



2 Comments for William Least Heat-Moon’s ‘Roads to Quoz’

Bill Reinhart 12.09.08 | 12:35 AM ET

During the past 30 years, I have read and appreciated all of your travel/journey books.  Re Roads to Quoz, I agree with you completely that U.S. Route 40, in all of its iterations and manifestations oer he past three centuries, is probably the most important road (excepting railraods, perhaps,) in the history of the United States.  What I don’t understand, however, is your need to denigrate the significance of another important road, U.S. Route 66.  I have travelled and enjoyed them both, because they are both part of the fabric of American history and culture.  I have walked across the Casselman Bridge, seen the B&O train station in Ellicott City (my dad worked for the B&O) and have talked with Angelo the barber at Seligman, AZ and seen the cafe where Heminway wrote some of his best work at the now desolated cafe in Cuba, AZ.

Why try to exalt one wonderful piece of American history at the expense of anothet.  It’s not necessary!  As immigrant TV guy Yaoov Smirnoff once said:  “What a Country!!”  Celebrate it all, Mr. Heat Moon!!

Bill Reinhart

Gary Ammarell 12.24.08 | 7:15 PM ET

William,  While reading “Roads to Quoz” I stumbled on a Walt Whitman quote that seems to fit.
“You road I enter upon and look around, I believe you are not all that is here, I believethat much unseen is also here”  I jotted this down many years ago. I hope that is accurate!
Gary Ammarell

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