Desert Solitaire

2018 will mark the 50th anniversary of the publication of Desert Solitaire. This influential memoir by Edward Abbey has shaped several generations of readers and produced hundreds of thousands of environmental pilgrims working on behalf of the land.  Back of Beyond Books, to date, has sold 13, 707 copies of Ed's classic and will lead with several events/publications in 2018 in celebration of Desert Solitaire.  We'll give you plenty of notice as to when, where and what.  In the meantime, we're teaming up with

Desert Oracle, a fabulous zine published in Joshua Tree, CA to call for submissions for their Fall 2018 issue.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Edward Abbey's DESERT SOLITAIRE AT 50

JOSHUA TREE, Calif./MOAB, Utah (July 15, 2017)--With the 50th

anniversary of Edward Abbey's Desert Solitaire fast approaching,

Back of Beyond Books of Moab and the quarterly print journal

DESERT ORACLE are calling for relevant submissions (including

original documentary materials) for a Fall 2018 commemorative

issue. A celebration, "Desert Solitaire At 50," will be hosted in

Moab by Back of Beyond Books in October 2018. (Details to come!)

Desert Solitaire, first published by McGraw-Hill in 1968, is the

literary classic that has directly inspired a half-century of

desert conservation and love of wild arid lands.

National parks and national monuments power the economies of the

desert southwest, from Death Valley to Arches, the Grand Canyon to

Saguaro National Park. And federal parklands, monuments and

wilderness have never been more popular with the American people,

with 2016 seeing the largest number of National Park Service

visitors in history: 331 million recreational visits in all, with

more than 25 million visits to desert parks and preserves of the

Southwest.

The commemorative issue will combine selections from Abbey's

iconic Desert Solitaire, alongside contributions from his literary

and artistic cohorts, comrades and heirs to his vision. There will

be companion broadcasts/podcasts on DESERT ORACLE RADIO. Contact

editor Ken Layne (editor@desertoracle.com) or Andy Nettell

(andy@backofbeyondbooks.com) for more information.

KZMU/Back of Beyond Books Audio Bookclub

Andy's Pick

Book of Mormon in the Deseret Alphabet, Part 1

Published by Deseret University, New York, 1869

Black leather spine over pictorial light blue boards. Spine has gilt on spine plus blind embossed design. Rubbing to spine and moderate soiling to boards. Tight binding and clean interior. Edges show light foxing. The first section of the Book of Mormon printed from the same type setting, and in the same year as the much rarer complete Book of Mormon in this type. This phonetic alphabet was developed at Deseret University from 1847 and 1854 but not used to print books until 1868. Brigham Young pushed the use of the alphabet heavily but it never took hold in any serious way. ; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; 116 pp.   $300.00