Epitaph for a Desert Anarchist by James Bishop, Jr.

A Review by Peter Alilunas

Someday in the future, anarchists and peaceniks, people of intelligence and of freedom, will sit and discuss the greatest writings in American natural history: those of Emerson, Whitman, Thoreau, and Abbey.

Abbey?

Yes, Edward Paul Abbey, whose twenty-plus works will someday be recognized as members of the pantheon, the cornerstones of real American nature-writing. James Bishop Jr. tackles not only the writings but the legend of Cactus Ed in Epitaph for a Desert Anarchist.

Abbey made a name for himself as a writer of the American Southwest, the desert. But like those of Thoreau, Abbey's works are applicable to any place, a comfort to those with like principles.

The life of Edward Abbey was an interesting one, full of marriages and sickness, of insults and bad reviews. But it was also really a love story: Abbey in love with freedom and nature. Bishop writes about Abbey with honesty and an even hand, not succumbing to put-downs, insults, or even to blatant adoration.

Bishop reveals the human side to Abbey, the inner conflicts that warred, the lifetime of stubbornness, the pain left silent. Mostly we are shown that Abbey was, in the end, merely human and not some desert spirit sent to guide us.

From The Monkey Wrench Gang to Hayduke Lives!, Abbey brought us humor, hope, politics and adventure beyond adventure. A bright light went out with his death, but we will always have his works.

For the Abbey newcomer or the lifelong fan, Bishop provides a clear and insightful guide to the man, the legend, and the legacy of Cactus Ed.

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