Perspective

Elizabeth Gilbert is the author of "The Last American Man." Gilbert appreciates Conway's lifestyle and contributions and mirrors them with her way of life as a twenty-something, self-proclaimed cowgirl. Although Gilbert was raised in Connecticut, the author chose to shun the modern way of life and spend time in Wyoming, where she invented an entirely new persona.

Because Gilbert chose to raise herself in much the same way Conway did, the author is able to relate to the preservationist. Like Conway, Gilbert grew up in a suburban neighborhood. However, Gilbert's parents did everything possible to raise their children in an old way of life, with farming and the ultimate resourcefulness. It is perhaps that upbringing that allowed Gilbert to reinvent herself as a cowgirl and to survive out on the open range.

Gilbert met Eustace Conway in New York City in 1993. Since that time, Gilbert has spent time...