Desert Solitare--A Diamond in the Desert...

"Wilderness.  The Word itself is music", Edward Abbey.  


Hello 1000 Bookies!!!  

For those you do not know me, I am not one of the more outdoorsy types. For those who do know me, you are not surprised by that statement.   However for our next selection in the The 1000 Books to Read Before You Die is a true story from the great outdoors.  I firmly believe that the Book is a magic portal to take me to lands i have never seen, stories i never imagined. The first place i landed was in Edward Abbey's Desert Solitaire. The book takes place in the late 1950s. Mr. Abbey spent several seasons as a park ranger in the Arches Monument National Park near Moab, Utah. The book was published 50 years ago. Its a fascinating read about a part of the country i didn't even know existed. The book is 340 pages but every word is carefully chosen.

From boating/rafting down the Colorado River to Glen Canyon (which has since been dammed) to climbing down to the Maze. From his climb to the top of Tukuhnikivats to his trip to Havasu. You hear about the Uranium Boom (and a sordid story to go with it) and the tale of The Moon Eyed-Horse. Abbey's expressed views on Native Americans and Mormons aren't quite politically correct or socially acceptable today but are quite candid . Edward Abbey died in the late 1980s before MeToo and other more politically correct times. He is a bit of a misogynist, an ardent supporter of birth control/population control and an absolute opponent of "Industrial Tourism".  Edward also discusses types of people--Sea People, Mountain people and finally desert people.  Abbey is a Desert person, which he admits there are few.  The book makes me want to become a Desert Person 

It just so happened i was in the office of the Congressional representative for that area, and mentioned Desert Solitaire and The Arches. I was treated to discussion on federal land and how it lowers tax revenues from property taxes hurting the schools. And that tourism is what makes up that difference (which according to the office, it does not).  

However after reading Desert Solitaire, i want to go to the Arches, do some hiking there. Say Thank you Edward in the wind. I want to experience something new. I hope some of my friends will pick up a copy or download from Amazon and enjoy.

Keep Reading My Friends!!!