The Great Divide

Written by Stephen Grace, the companion book to The Great Divide, a film by Havey Productions, is a sweeping, magnificently illustrated story of Colorado water from the region's first inhabitants to the incoming settlers and developers to modern environmentalists. Times and places are covered from the archaeological remains of ancient Native American reservoirs, the first and longest operating water right in Colorado, important innovations in irrigated agriculture, the stunning dams that create reservoirs for storage and recreation, and the natural beauty of Colorado's wild places. The book, based on the film, will be a natural source for viewers who seek additional knowledge beyond the film, but it will also stand alone for readers who desire a basic but engaging entrance into the world of Colorado water. A vast array of breathtaking photographs, both archival and contemporary serve as attractive illustrations and a supplemental way to tell the story, along with descriptive captions.
About the Author: STEPHEN GRACE studied novel writing with Stratis Haviaras, founding editor of Harvard Review, while caretaking a house where the poet T.S. Eliot lived. After his first novel was published, Grace moved to a trailer park in Laramie, Wyoming, in the wake of the Matthew Shepard murder, to work with at-risk youth and research a novel. To publish a book about the historical cartography of Colorado, he collaborated with Library of Congress curators and with Vincent Virga, called "America's foremost picture editor." To research a narrative nonfiction book about China he sought out experiences as diverse as photographing skyscrapers in Shanghai and trail running in Tibet. To write Dam Nation: How Water Shaped the West and Will Determine Its Future, a Colorado Book Award finalist, he followed rivers west of the 100th meridian and charted currents throughout the region's history. While writing Grow: Stories from the Urban Food Movement, he worked on a repurposed garbage truck in the alleyways of Denver and volunteered on a farm in Uganda. Grace served as a consultant for the film DamNation, which has won numerous national and international awards. He is an associate producer and the screenwriter for The Great Divide film. JIM HAVEY produces documentary films that reveal important people, places, and stories of the American West. From legacy films preserving the ideals of nonprofit institutions to television programs bringing history to life, the distinctive work of Havey Productions is featured nationwide in publications, museums, theaters, and television. Emmy Award-winning films include Centennial Statehouse: Colorado's Greatest Treasure and Broomfield: Spirit of the American Dream. Production credits also include award recognition for films on Colfax Avenue, Children's Hospital Colorado, Hope West Hospice, the Code of the West in Wyoming, and the Cable Television Legacy of Bill Daniels. Jim Havey is producer and director of The Great Divide film. thegreatdividefilm.com