"An argument could be made that Robert Smithson is at least as important as a thinker and critic as he is as an artist, and in the art history of the Seventies, his words are certain to be returned to and returned to. He is one of those figures whose thought at once defines and transcends his own time."--Arthur C. Danto, author of "Playing with the Edge: The Photographic Achievement of Robert Mapplethorpe Since the 1979 publication of "The Writings of Robert Smithson," Robert Smithson''s significance as a spokesman for a generation of artists has been widely acknowledged and the importance of his thinking to contemporary artists and art critics continues to grow. In addition to a new introduction by Jack Flam, "The Collected Writings" includes previously unpublished essays by Smithson and gathers hard-to-find articles, interviews, and photographs. Together these provide a full picture of his wide-ranging views on art and culture.