DeVoto shared with Stegner an ability to see the big picture. But he shared plenty with Abbey, too: a tendency toward overstatement, a willingness to bloody noses, a love of tweaking the overly proper and accepted. Stegner once called DeVoto the "Lone Ranger," and one can easily imagine DeVoto standing alone in the 1940s and '50s, keeping a mob of vigilantes {politicians, developers, ranchers, oil men} at bay as they clamored on about taking back "their" land. Stegner joined DeVoto in the fight, but it wasn't until Ed Abbey came along that anyone took to the fight with anywhere near the same cantankerous spirit.
DeVoto possessed a keen understanding of broader issues, which he shared with Stegner. Both writers displayed a penchant for provocation and held a disdain for conventional norms, often confronting traditional viewpoints with boldness. Stegner likened DeVoto to the "Lone Ranger," envisioning him as a solitary figure in the mid-20th century, valiantly defending against a wave of developers and politicians eager to exploit the land. Their collaboration in protecting the West was significant, yet it was Abbey's arrival that infused the struggle with a more defiant and combative edge.
While Stegner and DeVoto collaborated in their literary and environmental efforts, Abbey's unique spirit injected a new level of passion into the cause. DeVoto’s combative stance was critical in the fight against those who sought to reclaim land for development, embodying a protective role for the natural environment. Abbey, with his more fiery approach, brought a level of antagonism that resonated deeply, challenging established norms and energizing the movement in ways that previous efforts had not. Together, they represented a powerful force in the ongoing struggle for the preservation of the American West.
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Other quotes in All The Wild That Remains: Edward Abbey, Wallace Stegner, and the American West
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All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
Race of Cain, ascend to heaven, And cast God down upon the earth!
