Michael Kelsey, March 20th, 2025 – 7-9pm @ Back of Beyond Books

March 20th, 2025

 

Michael R. Kelsey, a native Utahn, and born in 1943, experienced his earliest years of life in eastern Utah’s Uintah Basin, first on a farm east of Myton, then in or near Roosevelt.  At age 11 and in 1954,  his family moved out of the Uintah Basin and the Great Depression, to Provo where he attended Provo High School and later Brigham Young University, where he earned a B.S. degree in Sociology.  Shortly thereafter, he discovered that was the wrong subject, so he attended the University of Utah, where he received his Master of Science degree in Geography (minoring in Geology).

It was two days after final exams at the U. of Utah when real life began.  On June 9, 1970 he put a pack on his back and started traveling for the first time.  Since then he has seen 224 countries (now counting South Sudan), republics, islands, or island groups.  When not traveling the world, he is mostly exploring the canyons of the Colorado Plateau.  All his wanderings have resulted in a series of 16 self-published books.  Michael continues to call Provo, Utah his home base.

Books will be available for purchase and light refreshments will be provided!

A bitter, reclusive old man is forced to leave his solitary existence
in the woods of rural Washington to save his grandkids from an
extremist Christian militia. That doesn’t sound like the setup for a
hilarious book, but “So Far Gone,” the new novel from bestselling
author Jess Walter, manages to blend a lot of laughs into a very
timely narrative. The story centers on Rhys Kinnick, a retired
environmental journalist who has lived off the grid for years since he
punched his conspiracy theorist son-in-law in the face and ruined
Thanksgiving. Kinnick’s madcap journey to save his family features a
road trip through a well-realized depiction of modern America, an
eccentric cast of characters, and a delightful (though quite hungry)
pack of raccoons. The book is filled with witty humor and clever
banter that is punctuated by sudden eruptions of shocking violence. It
is a propulsive page-turner that strikes a good balance between
exhilarating set pieces and thought-provoking themes. I would
recommend it to anyone who likes a dose of politics with their
entertainment.

🌄 Review by Nat 🌄

Browse Nats favorite reads and order "So Far Gone" by Jess Walter from us by using our links in bio!!! 

WWW.BACKOFBEYONDBOOKS.COM

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🛶🛶🛶 Attention river runners 🌊🌊🌊

This week’s featured item from our rare department is an essential part of any Colorado River collection!

“Cataract Canyon: A Human and Environmental History of the Rivers in
Canyonlands” offers a stunning tour of the incomparable stretch of
river with chapters on geology, hydrology, prehistory, geography,
biology, and river-running history. Now out of print, this title is
getting tougher to find. This copy is signed by co-author John
Weisheit, is in very good condition, and costs $40.

Check out more of our featured rare items in our link in bio on our profile page!

WWW.BACKOFBEYONDBOOKS.COM

 #rare #river #canyons #moab #coloradoriver #Utah #bookstore #backofbeyondbookstore