Epitaph for a Desert Anarchist: The Life and Legacy of Edward Abbey

Bishop, a freelance writer, here offers a lengthy eulogy of the iconoclastic author Edward Abbey (1927-1989), who was noted for both fiction ( The Monkey Wrench Gang ) and nonfiction ( Desert Solitaire ) that raged against the technological forces threatening to destroy the natural world. Formerly a park ranger, Abbey explored his beloved Southwest wilderness many times and vehemently protested the building of Glen Canyon Dam and the strip-mining of Hopi land. Abrasive and outspoken, he engendered controversy by his sexist remarks, his support for legal handguns and his fervent opposition to the immigration of Latinos, whose culture he denigrated in print. Although Bishop acknowledges Abbey's negative qualities, his unbridled admiration for his subject and the inclusion of lengthy quotes from Abbey devotees wears thin. (June)