Writing the Western Landscape

Introduction and Illustrations by Ann H. ZwingerTwo of this country's greatest writers on the natural world.--Washington Post Book World

"As thinkers and artists, [Austin and Muir] were made by the West. Though neither was born in it, they found it their spiritual home, the source of their power. Their writing about it is an act of acknowledgment, a gift from the heart. From them we still learn to see our mountains."--Ursula K. Le Guin, Portland Oregonian

"John Muir and Mary Austin exemplify the patterns and perspectives of classic nature writing. . . . Muir appears as the solitary, romantic explorer . . . [while Austin's] feminism and inclusivity point up the limitations of the romantic excursion as a basis for sustainable relations with land."--John Tallmadge, Orion