UA News

"Zero at the Bone" is Erec Toso's personal account of a profound life-changing event.

University of Arizona senior lecturer Erec Toso already has received high praise for his 2007 memoir, "Zero at the Bone: Rewriting Life after a Snakebite." Now, Toso's book is also one of six finalists in the ONEBOOKAZ 2009 competition.

Launched in 2002, ONEBOOKAZ is coordinated by the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records and brings communities together through various book events. Participants are encouraged to read and explore a book that increases their knowledge and appreciation of Arizona's unique history and culture.

Now through Sept. 30, Arizonans are encouraged to vote for their favorite title. To cast a ballot, visit www.onebookaz.org and click on "Vote!"

If named as the winner, Toso would embark on a statewide reading tour, sharing with Arizona residents what the Tucson Weekly called "his inspiring voyage into the heart of a profound spiritual awakening."

"Zero at the Bone" is Toso's deeply personal narrative tracing his physical recovery and emotional transformation following his near-death experience from a rattlesnake bite, according to a description of the book posted on the ONEBOOKAZ Web site.

"In a story that hinges on a common fear about that unlikely event ... Toso uncovers a more common reality that many of us do not fear enough: complacency," the site states. "In elegant prose that inspires as much as it unsettles, Toso takes the reader along with him on an expedition into the uncharted territory of cellular damage, hallucination and, ultimately, profound spiritual awakening."

Readers and reviewers across the nation have commended "Zero at the Bone." National Public Radio contributor and author Craig Childs called it "sensual and full of surrender," while author William L. Fox praised it as "delicate and moving."

Library Journal, the oldest and most respected publication covering the library field, declares "Toso's deeply personal work does not seek or accept easy answers; it deserves broad readership and critical acclaim."

Toso is a senior lecturer in the English department.