A conversation with Melissa L. Sevigny about their book Brave the Wild River: The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon (W. W. Norton, 2023).

Melissa L. Sevigny is a science journalist at the Arizona Public Radio station KNAU in Flagstaff. Her writing intersects science, nature, and history, with a focus on the American southwest. She earned a BS in Environmental Science and Policy from the University of Arizona and an MFA in Creative Writing and Environment from Iowa State University. In her new book, Brave the Wild River: The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon (W.W. Norton, 2023), Sevigny relates the story of two remarkable scientists who took part in a successful rafting expedition through the Grand Canyon to study its botany. Their pioneering botanical discoveries were historic but the media at the time focuses primarily on a different historic aspect of their trip - they were the first two women to successfully raft the oft-treacherous waters.

Along with numerous shorter pieces of writing and journalism, Sevigny has published two other books: Under Desert Skies: How Tucson Mapped the Way to the Moon and Planets (University of Arizona Press, 2016) and Mythical River: Chasing the Mirage of New Water in the American Southwest (University Iowa Press, 2016). The latter of the two was honored with multiple awards. Her shorter-form writings and journalism have also received awards and honors.

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