Happy 25th Birthday, Back of Beyond Books!

Congratulations to Back of Beyond Books, in Moab, Utah, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this month. Back of Beyond Books was conceived in 1989 during the memorial service for Edward Abbey, an author and essayist with strong ties to the Southwest and environmentalism. The store's name refers to Abbey's most famous fiction title, The Monkey Wrench Gang, in which protagonist Seldom Seen Smith names his company and hideout "Back of Beyond." The bookstore specializes in books about western history, Native Americans, environmental literature and local guides, including rare editions. Back of Beyond combined with Arches Book Company in 2011, expanding its inventory with mainstream bestsellers and other genres.

Though no specific events are planned for its anniversary, Back of Beyond Books will host several authors over the next few months: David Roberts, author of The Lost World of the Old Ones: Discoveries in the Ancient Southwest (Norton) on April 11 at 7 p.m.; Michael W. Leach, author of Grizzlies on My Mind: Essays of Adventure, Love, and Heartache from Yellowstone Country (WestWinds Press) on April 27 at 7 p.m.; Sean Prentiss, author of Finding Abbey: The Search for Edward Abbey and His Hidden Desert Grave (University of New Mexico Press) on May 13 at 7 p.m.; and David Gessner, author of All The Wild That Remains: Edward Abbey, Wallace Stegner, and the American West (Norton) on June 12 at 7 p.m.

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