Lost in the New West

Lost in the New West investigates a group of writers - John Williams, Cormac McCarthy, Annie Proulx and Thomas McGuane - who have sought to explore the tensions inherent to the Western, where the distinctions between old and new, myth and reality, authenticity and sentimentality are frequently blurred. Collectively these authors demonstrate a deep-seated attachment to the landscape, people and values of the West and offer a critical appraisal of the dialogue between the contemporary West and its legacy. Mark Asquith draws attention to the idealistic young men at the center of such works as Williams's Butcher's Crossing (1960), McCarthy's Blood Meridian (1985) and Border Trilogy, Proulx's Wyoming stories and McGuane's Deadrock novels. For each writer, these characters struggle to come to terms with the difference between the suspect mythology of the West that shapes their identity and the reality that surrounds them. They are, in short, lost in the new West.A beautifully written and timely book, Lost in the New West is an impressive guide through the literature of a vibrant and ever-changing American landscape. Mark Asquith offers a fresh approach to understanding the work of recent western authors who seek to move beyond damaging myths of place and nation. In this way, the book is essential reading for anyone wishing to connect more honestly and deeply with a region facing ongoing challenges and profound transformations.