September 2019

​Way out on the Colorado Plateau, two lines cross at right angles, forming the borders of four states. You can stand on this spot and be in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah all at the same time. The Four Corners is the common name for this region: a land of fantastic rock formations, ancient dwellings, diverse cultures, and rich history.  Multiple national parks and monuments have been set aside to preserve the wonders of the Four Corners.
 
To learn more about this unforgettable land and its people, please join Jim Turner, author and historian, for his Arizona Humanities presentation “Four Corners:  The Southwest’s Cultural Crossroads” on Wednesday, September 4, at 1:30 p.m. at the Church of the Nazarene, 55 Rojo Drive in the Village of Oak Creek. This program, generously funded by Arizona Humanities and Friends of the Sedona Library, is free and open to the public.
 
At this presentation, you’ll hear about the area’s unique geography, geology, and history, as well as the modern cultures that call the Four Corners home. Topics will include Native American myths, spiritual beliefs, and arts and crafts; the history of Spanish missionaries and Mormon settlers in the region; and the history of movie making at Lake Powell and in Monument Valley.
 
While visitors to the Four Corners often see the area as forbidding and desolate at first, most people soon get used to the region’s unique features and begin to appreciate its otherworldly splendor, panoramic landscapes, and barren badlands, where whirling dust devils sweep the plains and giant rock sculptures grace majestic canyons.
 
About the presenter:  Jim earned an M.A. in U.S. history in 1999 and has been presenting Arizona history for more than 40 years. Before retiring from the Arizona Historical Society, he worked with more than 70 museums across the state. He is also the author of several books, including Arizona: Celebration of the Grand Canyon State, The Mighty Colorado River: From the Glaciers to the Gulf, and Four Corners USA: Wonders of the American Southwest.
 
Please consider supporting Sedona Public Library at sedonalibrary.org/donate, or call 928.284.1603 for more information. Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Thank you for supporting library services in the Village of Oak Creek.