John Muir: Life and Work

edited by Sally M. Miller

John Muir Center for Regional Studies
University of the Pacific
Stockton, California USA

1994 August 5
News Release

John Muir: Life and Work
edited by Sally M. Miller

John Muir: Life and Work, edited by Sally M. Miller, was published in 1993, by the University of New Mexico Press for the John Muir Center for Regional Studies of the University of the Pacific. The collection of essays is a selection of revised papers presented to the California History Institute at its conference in 1990, and expands and enriches the existing literature on Muir.

The collection consists of thirteen essays clustered according to subject, and an introductory essay by Ronald H. Limbaugh. Part I is addressed to Muir the individual, and contains an essay by Keith E. Kennedy on Muir and his relationships with his parents and siblings. It also includes an essay by Arthur W. Ewart on Muir as a mountaineer.

Part II focuses on the subject of Muir and religion, and seeks to expand on some of the discussions in the literature in recent years. Mark Stoll's contribution is entitled "God and John Muir" and is a psychological interpretation of the evolution of Muir's religious beliefs. An essay by Dennis Williams considers Muir as a Christian mystic.

Part III places Muir in the context of wilderness. James D. Heffernan addresses the issue of Muir and deep Ecology, and Don Weiss discusses Muir and the wilderness ideal.

Part IV considers Muir as a literary figure. Richard F. Fleck analyzes Muir's transcendental imagery and Edgar M. Castellini compares and contrasts Muir and Thoreau on the use of mountain imagery.

Part V considers Muir in relationship to the physical sciences. Dennis R. Dean discusses Muir's role as a geologist and Nancy M. Slack places him in the context of the evolution of the field of botany in California.

Part VI, the concluding section, pinpoints Muir's relationship to particular places. Paul D. Sheats writes on Muir and the Southern Sierra, Bruce A. Richardson analyzes Muir's assessment of Yellowstone and C. Michael Hall traces Muir's travels in Australia and New Zealand in 1903-1904, and their significance for environmental thought in that part of the world.

This volume is lavishly illustrated and indexed, and presents the most current views of John Muir's life and work. Order from your local bookstore or contact the

University of New Mexico Press
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Albuquerque, NM 87131

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