Every man should be
Every man should be his own guru; every woman her own gurette. Edward Abbey
Edward Abbey
My notion of a
My notion of a great novel is something like a five-hundred-page shaggy-dog story, with only the punch line omitted. Edward Abbey
Too many American authors
Too many American authors have a servile streak where their backbone should be. Where’s our latest Nobel laureate? More than likely you’ll find him in the Rose Garden kissing the First Lady’s foot. Edward Abbey
In art as in
In art as in life, form and subject, body and soul, are one. Edward Abbey
Shakespeare wrote great poetry
Shakespeare wrote great poetry and preposterous plays. Who really cares, for example, which petty tyrant rules Milan? Or who succeeds to the throne of Denmark? Or why the barons ganged up on Richard II? Edward Abbey
There comes a point,
There comes a point, in literary objectivity, when the author’s self- effacement is hard to distinguish from moral cowardice. Edward Abbey
John Updike: our greatest
John Updike: our greatest suburban chic-boutique man of letters. A smug and fatal complacency has stunted his growth beyond hope of surgical repair. Not enough passion in his collected works to generate steam in a beer can. Nevertheless, he is considered by some critics to be America’s finest *living* author: Hold a chilled mirror to … Read more
It is an author\\’s
It is an author’s most solemn obligation to honor truth. If the free and independent writer does not speak truth to power, who will? Edward Abbey
In order to write
In order to write a book, it is necessary to sit down (or stand up) and write. Therein lies the difficulty. Edward Abbey
Why the critics, like
Why the critics, like a flock of ducks, always move in perfect unison: Their authority with the public depends upon an appearance of unanimous agreement. One dissenting voice would shatter the whole fragile structure. Edward Abbey