Everett Ruess: His Short Life, Mysterious Death, and Astonishing Afterlife

by Philip L. Fradkin

Everett Ruess was twenty years old when he vanished into the canyonlands of southern Utah, spawning the myth of a romantic desert wanderer that survives to this day. It was 1934, and Ruess was in the fifth year of a quest to record wilderness beauty in works of art whose value was recognized by such contemporary artists as Dorothea Lange, Ansel Adams, and Edward Weston. From his home in Los Angeles, Ruess walked, hitchhiked, and rode burros up the California coast, along the crest of the Sierra Nevada, and into the deserts of the Southwest. In the first probing biography of Everett Ruess, acclaimed environmental historian Philip L. Fradkin goes beyond the myth to reveal the realities of Ruess’s short life and mysterious death and finds in the artist’s astonishing afterlife a lonely hero who persevered.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Travel

296 pages, Hardcover

First published July 2, 2011

About the author

Philip L. Fradkin is an American environmentalist historian, journalist and author. Fradkin has authored books ranging from Alaska, California and Nevada, with topics ranging from water conservation, earthquakes, and nuclear weapons.

In 2005, Fradkin was given the Californiana Award by the Commonwealth Club of California.

Reviews

[Nichole]

Quit halfway through, though I blame my own lack of fortitude. Couldn't reconnect with the subject's gentle, artistic nature after he stole a puppy, then beat it until it ran away. We all "contain multitudes," blah blah blah.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good read about a young artist that vanished at a young age.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A trustworthy, thoroughly researched, and convincingly documented account of the real (as opposed to the mythologized) Everett Ruess, with a fascinating final chapter on the 2009 controversy when his remains were supposedly discovered.

[Scott Buchanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having heard about Ruess through other authors, Krakauer and Abbey. I was curious to learn the story of his life. Fradkin does a remarkable and complete account of his life and how he became a legend in his short life.

[Zack Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

The better of the two Everett Ruess biographies I've read. Fradkin does a great job providing context that surrounds the life of the young adventurer.

[Steven Howes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had not heard of Everett Ruess until a few years ago when I read David Roberts's book about him based on a recommendation in High Country News. Everett's story was riveting so I jumped at the chance to read more about his life and subsequent mythic status that developed around him following his disappearance in 1934. His remains have never been found.

While I found this book very interesting, it tended to be a bit darker than the previous one focusing more on his family and upbringing, his mental state, and suspected homosexuality as potential motivators for his eventual withdrawal from relatives and friends and disappearance in the Utah wilderness. In some ways, this book chips away at the Everett Ruess myth that was crafted by his family and others over the years. It reveals his human side and associated weaknesses. He had unique parents that enabled his wandering lifestyle and interest in the arts even during the height of the Depression.

Regardless of his many idiosyncrasies, Everett Ruess was a somewhat talented young man who loved the wild places of the American Southwest at a time when they were still relatively unexplored. He left behind a body of work that included letters, poetry, block prints, and watercolors. This book presents a compelling look at what life was like in the area during that time period when access was limited. It also summarizes the many theories about what may actually have happened to him.

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have completely mixed and strong feelings about this book. First, it is about one of my inspirations and a remarkable young man who is legendary in the Southwest. While much of the reporting is solid the author (now deceased) inserts himself into the story over and over again. It feels and reads unprofessionally and the opinions he offers detract from the tone and the veracity of the author. He decides, on his own, that Ruess was a bipolar homosexual and yet scolds other authors for their speculative theories about Ruess and the mystery of his disappearance. How, in the world, can he come to these definitive conclusions? I've no idea. It may be true but it is purely a guess and the book reads like a tabloid at times. If you love Ruess and/or the Southwest it is required reading but hold your nose through some of the smelly pseudo-psychoanalytic garbage of which the author had no expertise nor adequate information to express.

[Joey Usher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting look into another wanderer that had the artistic ability to overcome the lonliness to some degree . . . I really liked how Fradkin interspersed Ruess' own words with his own to tell the story.

[VeeAnn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave up about half-way through this book. The writing style was okay and it wasn't that the book wasn't interesting. I just found myself getting more and more disgusted with the selfish nature of this young man and didn't really care that much.

[Thérèse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this - such an intriguing, typically American story. Due out in September - starred review in Library Journal here: http://bit.ly/jU8yc6 (scroll down)