Edward Abbey correspondence with John Macrae and Amy Hertz, 1974-1989 (bulk 1987-1989).

0.21 linear feet (1 box)

English

In English.

Purchased from Ken Lopez Bookseller on the Frederick W. and Carrie S. Beinecke Fund for Western Americana, 2011.

Arranged chronologically.

This material is open for research.

Edward Abbey (1927-1989) was an American writer and environmentalist best known for his works about the American Southwest. Abbey published several works that were influential on the environmental movement of the 1970s, notably Desert Solitaire (McGraw-Hill, 1968) and The Monkey Wrench Gang (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 1975), which inspired a wave of environmentalist protests involving industrial sabotage. In the final years of his life, Abbey worked on several writing projects, including The Fool's Progress (Henry Holt and Company, 1988), a picaresque novel that was Abbey's last published work before his death in 1989. Several of his final works were published posthumously.

31 typed and manuscript letters, signed, between Edward Abbey and John Macrae and Amy Hertz, editors at Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Abbey discusses proofreading, cover designs, titles, synopses, book tours, and reviews. Most of the letters concern Abbey's novel The Fool's Progress (1988), including his struggle to find a publisher and his disappointment in its critical reception in the weeks before his death. Other letters mention drafts of Beyond the Wall (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1984), Hayduke Lives (Little, Brown and Company,1990), and Confessions of a Barbarian (Little, Brown and Company, 1994). Abbey also discusses politics, notably his views on anarchism, racism, and immigration. Several letters concern his critics and literary reputation, including his resistance to being compared to writers such as Thoreau. Enclosures include clippings of reviews and Abbey's sketches of the cover art for Beyond the Wall and The Fool's Progress.

August 07, 2017

Edward Abbey Correspondence with John Macrae and Amy Hertz. Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

Edward Abbey Correspondence with John Macrae and Amy Hertz. Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.