What Rivers Know : Listening to the Voices of Global Waterways

" . . . a one-of-a-kind treasure."—Library Journal Reviews

What if rivers could talk and tell their stories? What would they tell us? In What Rivers Know, artist Basia Irland insinuates herself as the voice of major waterways as they struggle to navigate their changing relationships with humans and climate change. By hearing what the rivers have to say, Irland asserts we can attune ourselves to the “braided fusion of energies” in our natural world, better preparing us to meet the challenges posed by climate change and human interactions with the environment.

Through these “first-person accounts,” readers learn the rivers’ histories, current environmental health status, and evolving relationships with humanity. In addition, Irland discusses innovative practices for addressing pollution, recycling wastewater, and what steps—if any—are being taken to remedy their ailments.

What Rivers Know presents us with 25 intimate portraits of rivers from around the world, such as the Seine (France), the Yaqui (Mexico), the Río Grande (US and Mexico), the Singapore, and the Chaobai (China). These accounts are accentuated with a foreword by the renowned author, curator, and art critic Lucy Lippard and a preface by Sandra Postel, recipient of the prestigious Stockholm Water Prize, the “Nobel Prize” for water.

Irland’s unique writing style tells a nature story unlike any before, delivering within the writing the experience of being a river.

The work of author and artist BASIA IRLAND focuses on international water issues, especially rivers, waterborne diseases, and water scarcity. She collaborates with scholars from diverse disciplines on projects including rainwater harvesting systems, documentary filmmaking, and international implementation of waterborne disease projects. Founder of the arts and ecology program at the University of New Mexico, she is professor emerita in the department of art and art history.