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October 2015 Vol. 53 No. 2

Respected environmental scholar John Murray gathers a diverse cast of contributors to reflect on the enduring influence of Edward Abbey (1927–1989).  Writing from a wide array of disciplines—biology, music, medicine, philosophy, resource management, education, literature—these scholars and personal friends of Abbey reflect on his ideas from locations as far-flung as Alaska, the Caribbean, and Chile.  The resulting volume does not become hagiography; the contributors acknowledge Abbey's struggles with alcohol, his uneven writing, and his mercurial personality.  Nonetheless, these essays constitute a reassessment of Abbey's reputation, particularly as an essayist, arguing that he deserves a preeminent place in the literary history of the American West.  Several contributors compare Abbey to Henry Thoreau or Wendell Berry, portraying all three figures as contrarian essayist-activists whose writings speak for their places.  Murray's essay, the longest in the collection, provides an account of a 1988 conversation with Abbey that reveals his often-thorny relationships with a wide range of authors and activists.  That situates him as the "hub" of a literary culture.  Graced throughout by photographs, this well-conceived book will find an audience among those studying the American West and its literary culture.

--J. Bilbro, Spring Arbor University

Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above.