Peter Wild was a noted writer of poetry and nonfiction prose. Wild was a well-known for his literary works such as Cochise and Easy Victory. His poems have been published in numerous magazines, which include Ironwood, Chicago Review, and The American Poetry Review. In the latter part of his career, Wild became the foremost authority on John C. Van Dyke and the Mojave Desert. His contributions to this field include Daggett: Life in a Mojave Frontier Town; The White Heart of Mojave: an Adventure with the Outdoors of the Desert; and John C. Van Dyke: The Desert. Peter Wild served as a professor of English and Creative Writing at the University of Arizona beginning in 1971. He passed away in 2009.

Collection consists of research conducted by Peter Wild exploring the life and accomplishments of John C. Van Dyke, author of The Desert. The collection comprises Peter Wild’s interviews, notes, correspondence, photographs, research, and poetry on Van Dyke and the Mojave Desert.