The Kinsley Lecture Series Presents: William L. Bird, Jr's: "In the Arms of Saguaros: Iconography of the Giant Cactus"

"In the Arms of Saguaros: Iconography of the Giant Cactus," authored by William L. Bird Jr.:

In this carefully and thoroughly researched and curated book, William L. Bird helps us piece together and understand a key element of Southwestern identity, how the saguaro became a global icon. It is a story of discovery, cultural appropriation and erasure—including actions of Tucson’s Desert Botanical Laboratory, marketing, economics, and a sense of wonder—and, ultimately as Larry shows us, one of connection. Each of these elements has positioned the saguaro for its current moment, a relatable symbol of the arid west. Tucked throughout these pages are facets of history, especially of a slew of twentieth-century Tucson characters, that figure prominently into the shaping of the identities of not just Tucson and Phoenix, but in many ways the arid Southwest as a whole. This work fills an important gap and helps link what are at…