EDWARD ABBEY AND THE SOUTHWEST discussion

Hi all,

Edward Abbey influenced my love of the West since I read The Monkey Wrench Gang while working on a backcountry trail crew in Yellowstone in 1990. Now that I have read everything I can get my hands on (Jonathan Troy - cough, cough), I am searching for new authors in the tradition of Cactus Ed. I am reading Ellen Meloy now, whose writings I find interesting. I would appreciate any recommendations. Thanks!

I like Ellen Melly, too. Some other good ones are Jim Stiles' book on Moab, Gretel Ehrlich "Solice in Open Spaces", William Kitteridge-Hole in the Sky, Ivan Doig-This House of Sky, Andrew Garcia-Tough Trip Through Paradise (as funny as Monkey Wrench but way different), Joy Harjo-How We Became Human, Mary Clearman Blew-All But The Waltz, and John Rember-Traplines. I hope this helps you get started down your own path of western writers.

Thanks - this should definitely help get me started!

Try "Mining Sacred Ground" and "Poisoned by God's Flesh" by me (blatant promotion - sorry), both on ebooks. I have good reviews and you may like them, too.

Dave

I'll do that Dave! Thanks.

Well, I think I found my group after sweating it out on this site. My novel, I just finished, was indeed ruined by my devotion of Ed Abbey...he made the dedication even. My parents hated it when I read him.

The depressing thing is none of the new biologists I meet have ever heard of Abbey, or Berry, or Hardin, or Stegner...or or or

We have some work to do.

I hope I have found "my people."

Thank you

Virginia Arthur

Well, I am just going to get it over with.

I would love for the group to read my book, Birdbrain. I am spanking brand new so appreciate it. I did not even know how to make a FBook page and still don't have it all figured out. I hang out with tumbleweed and other riff raff.

For now, I am off to the Eastern Sierras for the rest of the week. Glad to find ya'll.

Thank you,

Virginia Arthur, Birdbrain

hi Virginia, I just saw your first post and followed it to your book. No reviews yet, must be brand spankin new huh? I added it :) it may take a while to get to it though. Black Sun re-read next ;)

Yes, but this is also because I cannot figure out yet now to navigate Goodreads, etc. I also greatly loathed putting together a Facebook page but the beast then builds itself so this is done. Like an amoeba,it just goes. Now I am standing on street corners in a sandwich board that says, "I "LIKE" You. Do You "LIKE" ME?" because my friend Muriel from a book conference told me I don't have enough likes. UGH. When are we supposed to write? This self-marketing thing is kind of hell. SO THANK YOU.

I am curious too to know and maybe this is not the appropriate place but, none of my friends had Fbook pages, like Mark Zberg even ("he offshores"), none had Kindles, a few of them are even mad at me for doing an E-book ("you're causing the extinction of books"...guess this is what you get when your friends are a bunch of cranky-ass LUDDITES!! HA!

Ok. Thank you so much. Please let me know what we are reading. Will be back at the end of the week.

So how do we know what book to read? Black Sun? Is this it? Please confirm and thank you.

V

I'm not on Facebook either, and all my friends think I'm crazy, that I'll love it, why am I holding out...That's okay with me. I'm not an author trying to let the world know about my work. That would probably change my mind. I held out for a long time about a kindle too, paper books have soul. But I like to read, all kinds of stuff and now I have access to things I would never have found otherwise. You can reach new, young readers and foster the same devotion to the natural world that Ed did for me 20 years ago. Good luck with your book and technological endeavors alike. ;)
Have a nice trip.

I was just going to read it by myself, because I miss him, lol. I don't know if this group does buddy reads, I'm new here too.

Hi Sarah,

Thanks for the great reply. I just got back from a few days in the E. Sierras including two juvenile bald eagles fishing right by my kayak. It was incredible. This is my reality, not this one. I get my "hit" by hanging around out there. Swimming in alpine lakes and lying on a rock...this is reality. This computer thing is not. This world just makes my ass wider. Maybe one book group is enough, for now.

I just ordered Black Sun from the library and actually, have not read it. I also have not read Postcards from the Edge...so you see, I still have some Abbey-izing to do.

Re: Facebook, etc., the irony of starting an Ed Abbey group is not too many Abbey-ites are likely to use social media or even a computer. I cannot believe the sht I am getting about being on Fbook or even publishing an E-book. A few of my friends think I am causing the "extinction" of books...am I? It has, of course, gone into political commentary, implications, philosophy. Intellectuals, esp ones that have been around awhile, are SUCH a pain in the ass!!!

I am on a waiting list for Black Sun from our library but as soon as I get it, it's opened.
Can't wait to e-discuss it with you.

Virginia

Those looking for new writers (unfortunately, at my age I do not qualify as "new" in any category) might enjoy Mining Sacred Ground which recently took third place at the last Public Safety Writer's Conference in Las Vegas. My main character is Hillerman inspired and some say there is a little Hayduke in him. Enjoy.

Here's some links to the books you guys mentioned.... just to make it easy for the rest of us :)

Dave's

Virginia's

Virginia wrote: "Hi Sarah,

Thanks for the great reply. I just got back from a few days in the E. Sierras including two juvenile bald eagles fishing right by my kayak. It was incredible. This is my reality, not thi..."

Virginia, that sounds amazing! Glad you had that experience :)

My copy of Black Sun started dropping pages as soon as I started reading, so I too well be waiting on another copy. There's no way I'd risk it falling apart.

I don't think technology's good for anybody's ass, lol.

I hate to cite a commercial but there was that Subaru one where the parents were out in the woods, gallivanting, while their daughter was sitting on her butt on Buttbook, er, I mean Facebook...

I went to all these book conferences and they ALL tell you to get a Goodreads, social media, blah blah...but it is the complete perversion of what life is all about! Are we OBLIGATED to sit on our asses now in order to "live life"? Shit. I'll stop. You get my point. Sorry,

My favorite Abbey book, though I have obviously slacked off, and the one that affected me most profoundly is A Fool's Progress. His last.

Ah,A Fool's Progress and Black Sun are tied for first favorite spot.
It won't do you any good at all getting frustrated with it all, the social media thing. Just decide if it's worth it for you to invest a certain amount of time to cultivate readers and new friends in a way that is unusual and a bit uncomfortable for you. If it is, try to find some joy in it. If it isn't, don't do it. There is no contest to keep pace in. I don't think it's as important to get "like"s right now as a few reviews. Can you get any of your beta readers to post one?

I have decided in order to manage this, I am going to hit my two book groups once a week then I have to run my business, gallivant, and write my next novel which requires sci lit. research.

You are very kind Sarah. I understand J.D. Salinger recoiled in near horror after he published, what was it (?), Catcher in the Rye, because of all the post-writing work involved, in his case, unwanted flack and fame. I think some of us just want to write, then we "forget" about the minor detail that we would like someone to read our damn book.

A copy of my book was just requested from a fairly high level progressive publication,for review, except my hand was shaking so bad, I did not type in their email address properly...and have gone total OCD on this now.

For now I am reading my two books--Black Sun and Grass Arena and will check back when finished. Fabulous to get turned on to new books!!!

And let us all survive the summer intact.

V

Sarah Re: your dearly loved copy of Black Sun:--"dispose of it" by leaving in our SW deserts somewhere, on a rock, or by a desert pool? Just outside a desert bar? It deserves no less.

Desert bar gets my vote.

Ugh, my petty heart.....I'm not quite ready for that....but I can well imagine the pages skittering and twirling off into the night.

That kind of makes me smile.

Are you guys hot? I mean, uhm, climatically speaking...
I am sitting in front of a fan typing this. I kind of loathe summers anymore, and what they are harkening...
Agree with Michael on great place to leave Black Sun--some local hole in a desert town--but now I am wondering why, Sarah, do you feel the need to do anything with it but keep it? Tie a ribbon, piece of leather, etc. around it? Put some stones you like around it...create a little shrine? You love it. It is a part of you. Keep it then.

So, check this out--my library in town has a waiting list for Black Sun of one person (me) and does not even have the other book from my Penguin classics book group. So far, no books for either book group available. Not going well so far. I will keep on re-reading Confessions. Just finished a book of Zola's short stories. I love Zola. Zola! Zola! Zola! All things French right now I guess.
I am typing too much. Sorry all. Time to get a cold beer --and pour it over my head!

Hey, idea! Why don't the authors in this group start a folder for your books and we can discuss there? Maybe get a few reviews posted? Hmmm? Whatcha think?

Virginia wrote: "Are you guys hot? I mean, uhm, climatically speaking...
I am sitting in front of a fan typing this. I kind of loathe summers anymore, and what they are harkening...
Agree with Michael on great plac..."

I'm in New England right now, Virginia, so no, I'm not hot. Last week was rugged though. Cool and breezy right this minute. :)

I will keep it, my maiden name and soul are scrawled inside the cover....but someday maybe I won't, and some beautiful soul will find it and give it new life.

Sarah (SB) ღ wrote: "Hey, idea! Why don't the authors in this group start a folder for your books and we can discuss there? Maybe get a few reviews posted? Hmmm? Whatcha think?"


I find this site kind of overwhelming as far as how things are organized but is there a link to those of us that are Arthurs? I don't know how many Arthurs we have? I mean, Authors. Sorry. I think this is an excellent and very thoughtful idea. I need reviews but am not so good at asking for them. I love this idea and thank you. Ok, other Authors in this group?

Sarah (SB) ღ wrote: "I will keep it, my maiden name and soul are scrawled inside the cover....but someday maybe I won't, and some beautiful soul will find it and give it new life."

Sarah, the library emailed me Black Sun is now available--I approach reading this book with great reverence in reading/learning about how much it means to you. Thank you for this.

Lol, Virginia...you don't have to take too much reverence with you. I was an overly emotional, newly in love 19 y/o when I read it. So it's about more than the actual text to me. ;)

Virginia wrote: "Sarah (SB) ღ wrote: "Hey, idea! Why don't the authors in this group start a folder for your books and we can discuss there? Maybe get a few reviews posted? Hmmm? Whatcha think?"


I find this site ..."


We just need a folder in this group.

Moderator Milo....is that ok with you?

Shall I start one?

Sarah (SB) ღ wrote: "Lol, Virginia...you don't have to take too much reverence with you. I was an overly emotional, newly in love 19 y/o when I read it. So it's about more than the actual text to me. ;)"

Oh boy. Maybe we need to start a new book group on this topic...books we read when we were falling in love. HUGE HUGE topic for me too. I guess one of my biggies is Evening by Susan Minot. Were we not all there once, twice...?

Milo? You there? Folder?

I love the idea and not just because I would love reviews for my new novel (plug plug) but also to connect with other authors in this genre...if we can call Ed Abbey a genre. HA!!! I wonder what he would say about being called a "genre".

To me Black Sun is a novel about the pursuit of love and the ambiguity that we are often left with. I will re-read it with you guys if you want to converse about it. I would be interested to hear a woman's perspective on this book because to me it is one of the best expressions of the parallels between love of a woman and love of wilderness. That is what makes it my favorite of his works. And yes, it is damned hot here in New Mexico now although the monsoon rains and flash floods have started for the year!

As I told Sarah, Abbey is like literary heroin to me...
I understand now why I quit reading him.

My parents might have been on to something in not liking it when I read him. This was a long time ago.

I just started Black Sun and of course, was up until 3 a.m. when I have real work to do today. I knew he would do this to me, the bstrd.

Sarah (SB) ღ wrote: "Lol, Virginia...you don't have to take too much reverence with you. I was an overly emotional, newly in love 19 y/o when I read it. So it's about more than the actual text to me. ;)"

do it

I published a lot about western history for magazines a few year's back (my first job out of college was as an editor for True West and Frontier Times magazines). Included in A Perfect Throw is a series of prose poems about Welsh and Jewish pioneers in the central Nevada. Stegner's book (Angle of Repose) is a marvelous novel--very accurate--on the West and mining pioneers.

I published a lot about western history for magazines a few year's back (my first job out of college was as an editor for True West and Frontier Times magazines). Included in A Perfect Throw is a series of prose poems about Welsh and Jewish pioneers in the central Nevada. Stegner's book (Angle of Repose) is a marvelous novel--very accurate--on the West and mining pioneers.

Sarah (SB) ღ wrote: "Virginia wrote: "Sarah (SB) ღ wrote: "Hey, idea! Why don't the authors in this group start a folder for your books and we can discuss there? Maybe get a few reviews posted? Hmmm? Whatcha think?"


..."

A bit late on my reply but yes. Mine would be "Edward Abbey-an Interview at Pack Creek Ranch" published by Vinegar Tom Press in 1991. Co-authored with Lyman Hafen.

Any Ed Abbey fans still on this Group?

Still here!

I have been reading Craig Childs lately and currently am beginning Cities of Gold by Preston (?). Also reading Forty Miles A Day on Beans and Hay. Trying to read various works with different perspectives on the Southwest.

Michael wrote: "I have been reading Craig Childs lately and currently am beginning Cities of Gold by Preston (?). Also reading Forty Miles A Day on Beans and Hay. Trying to read various works with different perspe..."

Childs is an incredible author with solid evidence and insight. Just don't "like" him on Facebook. He posts his readers to death.

Michael wrote: "Any Ed Abbey fans still on this Group?"

I don't know about "fan" but I have everything Ed ever wrote. When I lived in Albuquerque I had the opportunity to research Ed's papers in the University of New Mexico Archives.

See my Ed Abbey Page at http://www.rattlebrain.com/~hayduke/A... and my story, Searching for Ernie Flack, at http://www.rattlebrain.com/~hayduke/a...

Virginia wrote: "So how do we know what book to read? Black Sun? Is this it? Please confirm and thank you.

Black Sun is Ed's most personal book, and according to Ed's comments at dinner one evening, his favorite.

Virginia wrote: "Hi Sarah,

Thanks for the great reply. I just got back from a few days in the E. Sierras including two juvenile bald eagles fishing right by my kayak. It was incredible. This is my reality, not thi..."

Hi Virginia: To those of us who live here in California, the mountains to the east are the "Sierra Nevada" mountains or "the Sierra." There's only one!

Abbey man here...

The Sierras to me are very different. Western is sloping and gets more precipitation and Eastern are steep and drier.

Sierra! There is no "Sierras." Sierra means mountain range in Spanish. Sierra Nevada is the Nevada Mountain Range. There is only one.

This may seem picky, but locals sneer at outlanders who call it the "Sierras." Rightfully so.

The east Sierra is the best. Sere, honest, brutal, profane. Undefiled by trees and excess vegetation. Naked geology and geomorphology out in the open where you can stomp on it in your hobnailed boots. No place for Sahara Clubbers and Friends of Trees, the East Sierra is the real West.

"Enter at your own risk. Carry water. Avoid the noonday sun. Try to ignore the vultures. Pray frequently... " Ed Abbey

Western and Eastern Sierra are the SIERRA Nevada mountain Range. If I'm taking about both slopes - that's plural - hence Sierras. Native Californian here too and lived in the mountains for 30 years. Hope I didn't offend your sensibilities.

No offense taken. It's all one mountain range. I'm just a writer, and I aim for what I want to hit.