Using an actual turn-of-the-century anarchist commune on Washington's south Puget Sound as the backdrop, Hazard Adams tells the story of Edward Williams, a present-day history professor and former vice president at nearby State University. As he studies and imagines the lives of those who participated in the commune, Williams is drawn into disputes on his campus over the proposed appointment of a distinguished feminist professor of American studies and an alleged case of sexual harassment.

Hazard Adams is Professor Emeritus of Comparative Literature at the University of Washington. His previous books include Many Pretty Toys, also published by SUNY Press; The Horses of Instruction; The Academic Tribes; and The Truth About Dragons: An Anti-Romance.