Clay Jenkinson returns to Vail Symposium for two special programs

Historian Clay Jenkinson returns to Vail Symposium next week to discuss two controversial and complicated topics: The Supreme Court and Edward Abbey. On Wednesday, June 25 at Vail Interfaith Chapel, Jenkinson joins with Elizabeth Wydra and Clark Neily to discuss our current Supreme Court; on Thursday, June 26 at Eagle River Presbyterian Church he’ll take on the lauded and controversial “Desert Solitaire” author Edward Abbey.

“The range of these two programs are indicative of Vail Symposium’s breadth,” commented Vail Symposium Executive Director James Kenly. “The impact of and loss of trust in the U.S. Supreme Court in 2025 cannot be understated and this program will engage our community through civil discussion about history and current events.”

Wednesday, June 25: The Supreme Court in Crisis: Conversations on Controversial Issues

How important is the credibility of the Supreme Court? What structure is laid out for the Court in the Constitution? What accountability and ethics systems are in place, and how has the system developed over the years? The Supreme Court is under increasing scrutiny for its role and how it executes its role as the third branch of the US government.

Clay Jenkinson will be joined by Elizabeth Wydra, president of the Constitutional Accountability Center and Clark Neily, senior vice president for Legal Studies at the Cato Institute, to discuss the current court operations and possible changes. What does the constitution say about ethics, number of justices, term of justices and other very important issues facing the credibility and operation of the court? How might any changes be made? How does the Supreme Court perceive their relationship with Congress and the responsibility for upholding the constitution? What is the spectrum and balance of judicial engagement, from being proactive to waiting for Constitutional challenges? What is (or what should be) the relationship with the lower courts?

Join Jenkinson, Wydra and Neily as they discuss our current Supreme Court, what Supreme Court reform could look like, how it could be reformed and why it matters.

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Thursday, June 26: Rethinking Edward Abbey

“Edward Abbey spoke for the Vail Symposium in 1976,” Kenly said, “and it feels appropriate to revisit his legacy under the looming threat of the sale of our public lands.”

A controversial figure, Edward Abbey has been both embraced by environmentalists for his love of nature and the American West and derided by others for racism, sexism and actions such as throwing beer cans from his car. His memoir “Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness” inspired visits to the desert and an environmental movement.

Clay Jenkinson has been interviewing Edward Abbey’s friends and family and rethinking Edward Abbey in all his complexity. Clay will put Abbey in his context, including the impacts of his solitary rambles on his five wives and children, while also celebrating the attention he brought to the preservation of public lands. Join Jenkinson for a discussion of the many facets of Abbey.