Revered as a deity by native peoples, then marked for extermination by the federal government. Derided as a "living, breathing allegory of want" by Mark Twain, then crowned a king of cool by the Beat Generation. New Mexico writer Dan Flores tracks the range of reactions the coyote has inspired over the years in Coyote America, just published by Basic Books.
The book is his attempt, says Flores, to tell the story of the coyote's development over the millenia, but also to put that story into the context of the animal's encounters with man.
Dan Flores speaks in greater detail about his new book, and, in particular, discusses how coyotes were able to survive efforts over the years to exterminate them, while wolves were not.
dan_flores_interview_long_version_final_.mp3
