I remember, it was one of those days at the traveling circus. One of those mornings when my cell phone started ringing long before my alarm clock did. Looking back on it now, I have no idea what the crisis of the moment actually was— although I do recall catching a glimpse of black smoke rising up from the big top on my drive in to work. It was a clear indication that whatever the dumpster fire of the moment actually was, that thing was still actively burning.
Everybody has those kinds of days at the office, I’m sure. The kind that makes you want to get back in your car, pull out of the parking lot, and head right back out in the direction you came. To go straight home, or maybe even off into the wild unknown. Now of course I didn’t do that— I went to work and I did my job— but the crisis of the minute imprinted itself on my mind, and stayed with me long after I’d punched the time clock and gone home. That evening, when I’d settled down on the couch after dinner and opened up the trusty old Libby app for my weekly download of library books, one particular title seemed to jump right out at me:
“Cheap Land Colorado” is essentially a study of modern-day frontiersmen. Men and women who’ve, for whatever reasons, managed to live out my daydream by blazing their own trails. Obviously, the premise appealed to me, so I downloaded the book and plowed through it in a single weekend.
Before I summarize this book, I should start by admitting that I’d never read any of Ted Conover’s work before. This is almost shameful to me now— Mr. Conover has been at it for decades, and he’s been called the “master of experience-based narrative nonfiction.” When he’s starting a new project, Conover normally sets aside months, or even years, to live among his subjects and learn their ways. In preparation for one of his books, Conover stowed away on railroads in order to understand the struggles of undocumented Mexican farm workers. His commitment is incredible— Conover’s worked as a prison guard, a meat inspector, and in dozens of low-paying service jobs, all to gain a “boots on the ground” perspective of the challenges people face.
“Cheap Land Colorado” tells the story of modern life on the frontier. In 2017, Mr. Conover moved to Colorado to explore the classic American dream of rural living. Apparently, owning your own land out west is still an achievable goal, thanks in part to poor suburban planning. Although the high prairie grasslands may look bleak and barren, the land can be had for incredibly cheap prices, with five-acre lots in failed subdivisions going for just a few thousand dollars. While he was writing this book, Conover went through the process of purchasing his own off-the-grid homestead, and he also volunteered at a local charity that supports people living below the poverty line. By doing so, Conover gained access to an incredibly diverse group of people, who all shared a goal of striving towards self-sufficiency. Oddly enough, these folks managed to form their own unique little community, out on the fringes of modern society.
But even as he respects all of his subjects, Conover doesn’t pull any punches with his writing. At the same time TikTok influencers try to make us believe that off-the-grid homesteading would be a rewarding and wholesome way to get “back to the land” and reconnect with Mother Nature, Conover’s immersion technique lets us see the challenges of real life on the prairie. Turns out, most of the folks who gave up everything to live out in the middle of nowhere, did so for a reason. This book introduces us to all kinds of people, including combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, recovering (and struggling) drug addicts, and folks with extreme levels of social anxiety. Yet all of these people, with their disparate backgrounds and circumstances, somehow manage live together in a level of relative peace and acceptance. That fact alone seemed like an impressive accomplishment to me— never mind that poverty and shared hardship are the bonds that hold these weird little communities together.
Conover’s gritty perspective might have cooled my urge to chuck it all and head west— but not entirely. Later that week, I was killing time during a never-ending Zoom meeting, and I found myself scouring the Internet for available plots of land. And yes, it really is true— there are several websites out there where you can find your own little slice of paradise. Sure, these plots of land might be hours from the nearest city— but isn’t that part of the appeal? In theory, at least, a person could tow a camper out to the middle of nowhere, settle down, and be left completely, utterly alone.
It’s good to know that even in 2024, Americans still have the option to head out west and build a new life on the prairie. But seeing as how my own professional life is still tied to the traveling circus, that’s not an option for me— at least, not yet. But sometimes, just reading about something can be almost as fulfilling as doing it yourself. Thanks to “Cheap Land Colorado” Ted Conover gives all of us a chance to at least imagine the beauty of all those prairie sunsets.
