Dylan highlights one of my favorite books and one of my favorite places, the red rock areas of Utah. When one looks over the Castle Valley from the Porcupine Rim trail in Moab it’s to see what motivated Abbey to write so passionatley about this magical landscape.
SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2020: The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey, Harper Perennial/Modern Classics
Since we’re going old school, or at least mid-century modern, I’m going to stick with that era for at least another book: The Monkey Wrench Gang is truly a classic of its time, with a crazed plotline and wacky, wonderful, memorable characters including Hayduke, Abzug, Seldom Seen and Doc. This is the book that elevated the theoretical and academic philosophy of protecting wilderness and turned it into real, physical action. And while I don’t necessarily condone violence in conservation, it does serve as a satisfying fantasy for everyone who’s working to save what we love, myself included. In fact, TMWG is the inspiration for the novel I’m working on now. If you haven’t read it in a while, I suggest diving back in for a much-needed shot of inspiration.
