Edward Abbey was one of the most important and most explicitly political American nature writers of the second half of the twentieth century. He, however, disliked the phrase "nature writing"; he preferred to think of himself as a novelist who wrote...

Edward Abbey's nickname might just as well have been "the Monkey Wrench" instead of "Cactus Ed." Abbey breathed new life into the Luddites' notorious sabotage of technology--their tossing wrenches into new machinery; however, he aimed his sabotage at...

Edward Abbey's essays and novels secured his position as a leading American environmentalist during the late 1960s through the 1980s. His nonconformist views, radical lifestyle, and revolutionary language created a cult following of fans whose...

Novelist, essayist, white-water rafter, and self-described "desert rat," Abbey wrote of the wonders and beauty of the American West that was fast disappearing in the name of "development" and "progress." Often...

Edward Paul Abbey (January 29, 1927 - March 14, 1989) was an American author and essayist noted for his advocacy of environmental issues and criticism of public land policies. His best-known works include the novel The Monkey Wrench Gang, which has been...

Edward Abbey: A Life. By James M. Cahalan. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2001. xv + 357 PP. Illustrations, plates, notes, bibliography, index. $27.95. James M. Cahalan has written the definitive biography of environmentalist hero and writer Edward Abbey. In the company of...

On his newest release, Indians, Cowboys, Horses, Dogs, Tom Russell once again explores a myriad of Southwestern themes. Perfectly embodying the spirit and soul of the American West and Tom's own feelings about the changing ways of the desert is "The Ballad of...

In the following essay, Knott examines the tension in Abbey's writing between his efforts to maintain a rational and concrete voice and his romanticism.

In the following essay, Norwick explores Abbey's understanding of Friedrich Nietzsche's thought in his works.

In the following essay, Cahalan discusses how Abbey's Eastern roots—including his experiences in Appalachia—contributed to his identity as a Western writer.