Kent Nelson has crafted a dozen environmental novels set in the Western U.S., often with women as narrators. His one hundred and sixty stories in magazines demonstrate an astonishing range of characters and circumstances that take place in every part of the country. Nature is not a backdrop, but an active participant in his work, focusing his characters’ inner emotions as well as their limitations. His elegant, precise prose explores social disparity, personal transformation, and the depth of human longing.