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Joshua Wheeler

Joshua Wheeler is the author of Acid West: Essays. His first novel, The High Heaven, is forthcoming from Graywolf Press.

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reckoning with the west, culture, a smokey bear statue at smokey bear historical park in capitan, new mexico

Smokey Bear: More Than an Icon

A bear cub rescued from a 1950 wildfire has become so many things to so many people while remaining a symbol of something far greater—and more tragic—than preventing forest fires.