"But hell, I do like to write letters. Much easier than writing books."

And write letters Edward Abbey-"the 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 salvos-Wallace Stegner once likened Abbey to the "stinger of a scorpion"-were not limited to any one arena.

Abbey's 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.