Western civilization is over. So begins Jan Zwicky's trenchant exploration of the roots of global cultural and ecological collapse. Once Upon a Time in the West documents how a narrow epistemological style has left us blind to critical features of reality, and how the terrifying consequences of that shuttered vision are now unfolding.

Jan Zwicky, an internationally recognized poet and scholar, has held appointments at numerous universities including Princeton, the University of Alberta, and the University of Victoria. She is the author of over twenty books, including The Experience of Meaning and Alkibiades' Love: Essays in Philosophy.