He specializes in American nature writing, rhetoric, Western American literature, and the connection between literature and environmental ethics. Sumner has published in a variety of newspapers, literary journals, and books, including a series of interviews with contemporary nature writers such as Terry Tempest Williams, Barry Lopez, and David Quammen. His most recent article looks at the use of the term “ecoterrorism” in news media. When not teaching or writing, he likes to wander the wild places of the West with his family and a fly rod.