"Writing Off the Rural West looks at the changes unfolding in the Canadian countryside. When commentators on the national stage question the continuing viability of our rural communities - centres that were lauded for their contributions only a few years ago - they reveal not only a profound lack of understanding, but a crisis of faith in these places and the people who call them home. This collection reveals the situation in rural Canada in a new light; but more than that, it shows us that the ability to renew our rural communities remains within our grasp if we have the will to do so. "--BOOK JACKET.