Edward Abbey: A Voice in the Wilderness (video, 1993)

Produced and directed by Eric Temple.

Cover text | Reviews | Availability | Reader comments

Cover photo:
© Terrence Moore

More information about this video is available at Canyon Productions web-site for the documentary.

Many thanks to Eric Temple for donating a copy for review.

When Edward Abbey died in 1989 at the age of sixty-two, the American West lost one of its most eloquent and passionate advocates. Through his novels, essays, letters and speeches, Edward Abbey consistently voiced the belief that the West was in danger of being developed to death, and that the only solution lay in the preservation of wilderness. Abbey authored twenty-one books in his lifetime, including Desert Solitaire, The Monkey Wrench Gang, The Brave Cowboy, and The Fool's Progress. His comic novel The Monkey Wrench Gang helped inspire a whole generation of environmental activism. A writer in the mold of Twain and Thoreau, Abbey was a larger-than-life figure as big as the West itself.

This documentary, part biography, part tribute, is a look back at Abbey's life as remembered by sixteen of his closest friends and family members. Images of the places which Abbey loved and defended so fiercely are woven throughout the program. They include Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Great Basin National Park, and the Sonoran desert. Rare film clips and interviews with Abbey, combined with over one hundred twenty rare and largely unpublished photographs offer an insightful look into the personal life and philosophy of this iconoclastic writer. Edward Abbey: A Voice in the Wilderness was produced over a two year period with the full cooperation of Edward Abbey's family and estate.

Cover photo by Terrence Moore

"...a fine effort that captures much of the man's spirit through intelligent storytelling and cinematography." "...the film is able to negotiate this voyage without being slowed by hero worship, a common obstacle for Abbey biographers." -- Outside Magazine

"...[Abbey's] gift for eloquence resounds boldly, by photographs depicting the intense beauty of the land he loved and so profusely wrote about.." -- Library Journal

"...Well crafted.... an excellent biography of Abbey." -- Video Rating Guide for Libraries

You can now order the items listed below directly via the Internet from the Abbey's Web Bookstore in affiliation with Amazon.com Books. Please read the instructions for more information, or select one of the following: Edward Abbey : A Voice in the Wilderness; Edward Abbey; VHS Tape; $24.99 (Special Order)

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