West coast writer Derek Lundy has
written an account of his travels by KLR650 along two important
borders, the Mexican, and the Canadian, from the U.S. side.
His book, "Borderlands," is more
than a travelogue, however; it’s an examination of the American
obsession with border security following the attacks of Sept. 11,
2001.
Lundy, who turned 60 in a year when
three of his good friends died in their 50s, felt the need to stretch
himself, and so in the spring of 2007 he rode the long borders north
of Mexico and south Canada, and wrote about the cultures he found
there, which he says are shaped more by the borders than by the
countries they exist in.
U.S. Homeland Security policies, he
says, are making the borders more difficult and more time-consuming
to cross, and the northern border is affected by a widespread but
erroneous belief that Canada supplied terrorists for the 9/11
attacks. Lundy also provides sharply written historical accounts of
events that helped shape borders and border attitudes — the Alamo,
the Cypress Hills Massacre, and others.
Lundy, who lives on Salt Spring Island,
has written several previous books, and Borderlands: Riding the edge
of America, may be his most important. It’s widely available, but for
a quick look, see amazon.ca.
I’m half way through … great book written by a brave man … on an ugly bike … sorry.
I met Derek in Baudette,Mn., when he was on his way back home a couple years ago.He was on his Killer,and we swaped lies for about 1/2 hour,it was nice visiting with him. I live near Rainy River,which is across the Rainy River,from Baudette…..Nose