The images of the West in Joaquin Miller's immensely popular poetry and prose constitute a major example of late-nineteenth-century American mythmaking. Especially for readers in the East and Europe, Miller's works evoked an exotic and romantic land notable for its escapist appeal if not its verisimilitude. Miller's posturing, his often amateurish versifying of the simple, sentimental, and superficial, his portraying faults of the region such as its tendency to violence and mistreatment of the Native Americans--none of these things undermined the basis for Miller's contemporary fame and influence. He is significant largely because of his reputation as man and as writer rather than for his work. His celebrity status as wild westerner and creator of a fanciful fictive world outweighs the intrinsic aesthetic demerits of his writings. Miller's life and works merge and reveal much of the values and tastes of his audience, just as his diminished reputation...