Kevin Fedarko’s 2013 book about the speed attempt, The Emerald Mile, took a Grand Canyon campfire story and made it into a classic of adventure literature, weaving together the stories of early Grand Canyon exploration (including the Powell expeditions), the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam, the history of river guiding in the Canyon, and Grua’s biography into a rich narrative. The book won a 2013 National Outdoor Book Award, made the New York Times Bestseller List in September 2014, and has put Fedarko in a role of defending the Grand Canyon as a sacred place. We chatted with him about the book, his career as a boatman, and the Grand Canyon.