Northland

May 28, 2018
In this contemplative narrative, Fox (Deep) travels the United States’ border with Canada, following the footsteps of pre-Columbus Native Americans, European explorers, mountain men, and 18th-century government surveyors. The narrative is more ruminative than eventful—aside from a red fox defecating on a lawn or some sidelong glances from patrol agents, there’s not a whole lot that actually happens during Fox’s three-year exploration; in ways, the inactivity itself reflects the stasis of this borderland area. Fox has a keen eye for flora, fauna, geology, and meteorology (North Dakota is equidistant between the North Pole and the equator, making it “the most extreme weather zone in the world”); he’s also adept at conveying his knowledge and capturing the natural beauty and ancient landscapes of the borderlands (“Minnesota’s Boundary Waters is still primitive, carved by nature and untouched by humans”). Fox’s travels uncover a secret: this largely ignored border is key to the U.S. economy as it is home to an abundance of water, oil, and natural gas, and it will loom large if and when America’s more easily accessible natural resources become depleted. This is a worthy travelogue that explores the beauty of America’s untouched land.