Luis Alberto Urrea, author of “The Devil’s Highway,” will speak at Whitman Thursday, Sept. 27. Several events on campus pertaining to the book are scheduled, including a student slideshow of border photographs and: for some: dinner with the author.
“The Devil’s Highway” tells the story of 26 men’s journey across the Arizona desert on the Mexican-American border in 2001. Twelve survive in a climate with regular temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The book was a 2005 Pulitzer Prize finalist for nonfiction and was chosen by Whitman as the summer reading for first-years this year. Senior Lecturer of Environmental Humanities Donald Snow suggested the book last spring to Lori Bettison-Varga, Dean of Faculty.
“I met Luis Alberto Urrea during the summer of 2006 at Fishtrap, a summer literary conference in the Wallowas,” said Snow. “I was hugely impressed. He was charismatic and compelling: a marvelous speaker.”
Snow read “The Devil’s Highway” soon after the conference.
“Between a strong national interest focused on border issues and President Bridges’ emphasis on diversity, I felt it would be a very appropriate book for entering Whitman first-years to read,” said Snow. “It’s well-written and gripping, a trim, brisk read without being too easy. The saga of the men is handled with delicacy and complexity.”
Spanish Professor Nohemy Solórzano-Thompson was part of a panel of faculty that presented the book to the incoming class this August.
“Urrea is one of my favorite authors, and I’ve taught some of his books before, though I’d never read ‘The Devil’s Highway,'” she said. After reading it, “it’s a particularly horrific story that really puts a human face on the numbers and facts of immigration. Urrea covers the various reasons these men decide to start on such a dangerous voyage, which many people in the United States aren’t aware of.”
Geology Professor Kevin Pogue was also part of the presentation to the first-years.
“It’s important to realize that the desert wasn’t the climate these men were used to,” said Pogue. “They lived in a tropical climate. In the 1970s, if a couple of people were shot crossing the Berlin Wall, it made headline news. Close to 450 people died crossing the Mexican-American border in 2006, and people just aren’t aware of it.”
Once the book was presented to the first-year class, the president’s office approached junior Rachel Stein. As the ASWC Public Speakers Chair, she normally contacts agents, writes contracts and arranges for speakers’ transportation and accommodations.
“This case was a bit different considering that I was working with the president’s office,” said Stein in an e-mail. “I think it’s going to be a really eye-opening presentation. Our daily lives are affected by the number of immigrants entering the United States, particularly from Latin America.”
“Immigration is such a big issue in the United States,” said first-year Anastasia Andreas. “In my hometown, I know a lot of people who have traveled across the border because it’s just too difficult to come legally.”
Andreas was one of a few first-years invited to eat dinner with Urrea before his speech, along with faculty members and some upperclassmen.
“My student academic advisor knew that I was really interested in the book, and she recommended that I be invited,” she said. “I’m excited for the dinner: I have some questions for Urrea.”
In addition to the author’s presentation, other events on campus have been scheduled about the book and border issues. On Tuesday, Sept. 25, students presented a slide show of photographs from their own travels to the Mexican-American border.
Professors Snow, Solórzano-Thompson and Pogue all agreed that Urrea does an excellent job of avoiding placing blame for the situation on any of the parties concerned.
“Urrea has an extraordinary ability to present ambiguities,” said Snow. “It’s a wonderful example of good reporting. His speech is guaranteed to be a superb presentation.”
“What’s really exciting is how involved the community of Walla Walla is,” said Solórzano-Thompson. “There’s events being held in the community related to ‘The Devil’s Highway,’ the public library is advertising his speech: there’s a strong general interest in both the book and the author.”
