Postcards from Ed

But hell, I do like to write letters. Much easier than writing books. And write letters Edward Abbeythe Thoreau of the American West (Washington Post)did. At once incendiary and insightful, cantankerous and profoundly perceptive, Abbey was a singular American writer and cult hero, as famous for books like Desert Solitaire and The Monkey Wrench Gang as he was infamous for the persona of Cactus Ed. A true iconoclast with a rich sense of humor, his polemics and salvosWallace Stegner once likened Abbey to the stinger of a scorpionwere not limited to any one arena. Abbeys postcards and letters, legendary during his lifetime, convey the fullness of the man and reveal, along with his wisdom and savage wit, a tender side seldom seen before. For readers new to Abbey, this collection is an awe-inspiring introduction to the man and his works. And for devoted fans, the letters chronicle his evolution as an authentic American voice in the wilderness.