1. The Secret Knowledge of Water by Craig Childs

I like to think of this book as a gateway drug for Craig Childs. Once I read these essays about finding water in Utah’s canyon country as well as Arizona’s Sonoran desert, I became obsessed with his entire collection. Childs writes in a fantastical way. His descriptions of the desert are a profusion of love, awe, and admiration. Craig Childs is a true dirtbag, he’s really out there in the backcountry sleeping in the sand. I’d follow him on the page anywhere from backpacking into remote regions to rafting down desert rivers. As for following him in real life- nah! This guy jumps into flash floods! This book will take you on a true adventure deep into the deserts of the southwest.

P.S. Aspiring writers in grad school (like myself) this book was Craig Child’s thesis project at Prescott.

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2. Red: Passion and Patience in the Desert by Terry Tempest Williams

My copy of this book reeks of campfire smoke with grains of red sand lingering in the cracked spine. This book was my companion for a whole season of backpacking in the desert. Terry Tempest Williams’s love for the red rock is contagious. Her words read like a soulful and poetic love letter to the canyons and mesas of Utah. Williams is able to weave in complex theories, metaphors, and musings into her descriptions of the landscape that may have you wanting to write a letter to your senator to speak out in passionate protection of these wild spaces. She advocates for the heart, body, mind and soul to be brought back into the political processes of land rights. I have read nearly everything Williams has published, but this one takes the cake for me.

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3. Seasons: Desert Sketches by Ellen Meloy

I’m a big fan of essay collections because I’m constantly reading multiple books at the same time. Ellen Meloy’s essays in Seasons stands out to me because of her witty and vivid voice. I love going inside her mind to see the desert through her eyes. From stapling her hair to her roof while she builds her home in Bluff, Utah to hiking up sandstone to paint with watercolors to feel connected with her late brother. Her essays breathe human connection to the desolate spaces on the Colorado Plateau. Ellen Meloy is a true desert rat who will inspire you submerge yourself in a muddy river and train your eye to spot the desert bighorn.

Next on my list by Ellen Meloy is Eating Stone.

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4. Beyond the Wall by Edward Abbey

Edward Abbey has a long list of haters for his indulgence in alcohol, racism, and lack of respect for women. His most famous book, Desert Solitaire, is heavily criticized for his half truth of being alone in the wilderness, (when he just edited his wives and children out of scenes to make it seem like the only way to connect to the desert is through solitude).

Haters aside, I love this book. Abbey’s descriptions of land are breathtaking and lyrical. He is a true crusty desert rat who chose to live close to nature for most of his life, so his adventures are engaging and raw. His writing makes me want to write and at the same time throw everything away and live out of my backpack. This collection of essays is in my opinion his best work. From the border of Mexico to the Grand Canyon and all the way up to Alaska, this book will take you on an adventure and spit you out into the most remote places you’ve never dreamed of.

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5. Testimony

Books make a difference. This one was put on the desk of congress men and women in 1996 as an outcry to defend public land in Utah. Their words swayed Congress, and this book helped defeat an exploitative Utah wilderness bill. Twenty one writers contributed to this chapbook and was compiled by Stephen Trimble and Terry Tempest Williams. This book helped me believe in art, writing, and poetry’s place in politics.

Short essays and poems make this book easy to pick up and put down whenever. It’s also a small book which easily fit into the brain of my backpack for years as I guided in the backcountry. It was one of the best tools I had to engage kids with environmental advocacy. Highly recommend buying this book for your shelf.

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