Thanks for writing about Abbey! I picked up Desert Solitaire while on a high school trip through the Southwest. I’d never read anything like it before. Still one of my favorites.
I have never had such a hard time deciding which I love more: his fiction (“The Monkey Wrench Gang” in particular) or his essays (like “Down the River”). What an amazing writer. Thanks for sharing these!
Wow. I need to read more Abbey ASAP! "You can’t study the darkness by flooding it with light." Damn if that does speak volumes... Thank you Erik for sharing this! 🙏☺️
Thank you for publishing this article about Edward Abbey - I have included the article (and a link) in an article here on substack as well - the timing was perfect - he was such a brilliant man, and so inspirational. Love Poetic Outlaws, probably my favourite substack.
ha! I just finished rereading desert solitaire last night after several decades of reading it for the first or second time. His words still ring true. as a retired national Park Ranger. I’ve always gotten a kick out of Abby‘s writing, though I didn’t necessarily subscribe to some of his tactics. in my 37 year federal land management career, I experienced examples of what he cautioned us about so long ago. His book and a few others formed the foundation of my early ecological consciousness back in the late 60s and early 70s. I think the book may have been part of required reading for my ecology and society course at what was then Southwest Missouri state college. thanks for posting this.
WOW! This is one book of his I haven't read yet. The Brave Cowboy resonated with me more than any other of his books (Fire on the Mountain, Desert Solitaire, etc.) It illustrated how this country's government has used and abused its citizens since the ink dried on the Constitution. And poor little Whiskey, the innocent filly dragged through the mayhem of this story, gets the rawest punishment of all at the end. This list of quotes describes quite clearly the depth of his feelings about the West and, way back then, the problems that are still plaguing us today.
6. “Society is like a stew. If you don’t keep it stirred up, you get a lot of scum on top” - made me stop and think. How would one stir society in such a way to bring values above the scum?
Thanks for writing about Abbey! I picked up Desert Solitaire while on a high school trip through the Southwest. I’d never read anything like it before. Still one of my favorites.
I have never had such a hard time deciding which I love more: his fiction (“The Monkey Wrench Gang” in particular) or his essays (like “Down the River”). What an amazing writer. Thanks for sharing these!
Wow. I need to read more Abbey ASAP! "You can’t study the darkness by flooding it with light." Damn if that does speak volumes... Thank you Erik for sharing this! 🙏☺️
Thank you for publishing this article about Edward Abbey - I have included the article (and a link) in an article here on substack as well - the timing was perfect - he was such a brilliant man, and so inspirational. Love Poetic Outlaws, probably my favourite substack.
Thank you so much!
Same! LOVE Poetic Outlaws!
ha! I just finished rereading desert solitaire last night after several decades of reading it for the first or second time. His words still ring true. as a retired national Park Ranger. I’ve always gotten a kick out of Abby‘s writing, though I didn’t necessarily subscribe to some of his tactics. in my 37 year federal land management career, I experienced examples of what he cautioned us about so long ago. His book and a few others formed the foundation of my early ecological consciousness back in the late 60s and early 70s. I think the book may have been part of required reading for my ecology and society course at what was then Southwest Missouri state college. thanks for posting this.
Thank you for sharing your story! It has always been a dream to have had the opportunity to be a park ranger! How rare of a blessing. ✌🏻
Sunlight tends to teach us optimism, doesn’t it. Sharing this with someone who escaped to the southwest from nyc a while ago. He’ll get this. Thanks
WOW! This is one book of his I haven't read yet. The Brave Cowboy resonated with me more than any other of his books (Fire on the Mountain, Desert Solitaire, etc.) It illustrated how this country's government has used and abused its citizens since the ink dried on the Constitution. And poor little Whiskey, the innocent filly dragged through the mayhem of this story, gets the rawest punishment of all at the end. This list of quotes describes quite clearly the depth of his feelings about the West and, way back then, the problems that are still plaguing us today.
So perfect that old Cactus Ed.
This is fantastic, thank you for pulling all these great quotes! It's hard to choose a favorite.
Nice challenging ideas tossed there!
6. “Society is like a stew. If you don’t keep it stirred up, you get a lot of scum on top” - made me stop and think. How would one stir society in such a way to bring values above the scum?
7. “Anarchism…”? 🤔
Ah, the ole coot. Love him!
This spurned me to sit down on a random sidewalk to write. Thank you for sharing 🙏🏼
Love this post and love Edward Abby!
Good stuff, thanks. I’m enriched by your substack. I plan to jot many of these down.
These are great. I burst out laughing at number one. Gordon (Scotland)
Mother Nature Bats Last