George Frazier is an American author who writes about the natural landscapes and wild places of the Great Plains and the Midwest. He is also a computer scientist and academic, serving as an assistant professor of Computer Information Sciences at Washburn University. Frazier is the author of The Last Wild Places of Kansas[1] and Riverine Dreams: Away to the Glorious and Forgotten Grassland Rivers of America.[2] Each book examines regional environments through natural history, conservation and place-based narrative.
Writing career
[edit]Frazier's writing centers on the ecology, history and cultural significance of landscapes in the Great Plains and the Midwest, in particular rivers, prairies, and lesser-known natural areas. His work often addresses themes of land use, environmental change and conservation.[3] Frazier has frequently cited the destruction of the Elkins Prairie in eastern Kansas as a catalyst in his decision to write about Midwestern landscapes, describing the event as the moment he came to see that wild places in the region "matter." This perspective is discussed in a long-form documentary produced by the Kansas Land Trust, which features Frazier reflecting on the 70 acre prairie's loss and its influence on his environmental writing.[4] The Last Wild Places of Kansas was designated a Kansas Notable Book, an annual recognition highlighting significant works by Kansas authors or about the state. Frazier also wrote "Niobrara River Dreams," which appeared in the fall 2025 issue of National Parks Magazine.[5]
Reviews and Interviews
[edit]- Library Journal. July 1, 2025. Karen Bordonaro. Review of Riverine Dreams: Away to the Glorious and Forgotten Grassland Rivers of America.
- Forward Reviews. October 3, 2025. Jeff Fleischer "Jeff Fleischer Interviews George Frazier, author of Riverine Dreams: Away to the Glorious and Forgotten Grassland Rivers of America."
- Kansas Reflector. January 9, 2022. Max McCoy. "Ten Books Every Kansan Should Read."
- Wichita Eagle. December 17, 2016. Michael Pierce. "New Book details places in Kansas you’ve never heard of." "The Last Wild Places in Kansas takes readers, with great writing, to places many never new existed."
- Kansas Public Radio. June 2, 2016. Rex Buchanon. "The Last Wild Places of Kansas Book Review."
References
[edit]- ^ Frazier, George (2016). The Last Wild Places of Kansas. University Press of Kansas.
- ^ Frazier, George (2025). Riverine Dreams: Away to the Glorious and Forgotten Grassland Rivers of America. University of Chicago Press.
- ^ McCoy, Max (January 9, 2022). "Ten Books Every Kansan Should Read". Kansas Reflector.
- ^ "Elkins Prairie". YouTube. Kansas Land Trust.
- ^ Frazier, George (Fall 2025). "Niobrara River Dreams". National Parks Magazine. National Parks Conservation Association.