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You may know LX Skye,
for his gonzo articles in Bob Dudek’s legendary `Stinking
Desert Gazette’ newspaper.
Writing under the guises of: Izzie Kiddin, Steamboat Willie,
and Omega Besseler, his sarcastic and humorous slant on
the environment and local issues, helped us make the tough
transition from a mining town, to a tourist town.
“That was the time”; LX says, “when you
could fill Star Hall with boisterous voices of the community.
It was a time when `the people’ took charge of this
towns future. Sadly, those days are long since gone. But,
The Stinking Desert Gazette’ will always be remembered,
as a paper, that gave the people a voice.”
You may know LX Skye, for his large format landscape photography.
His images have appeared on over 100 post cards, and within
various magazine articles.
“Knowledge of the desert, and knowing exactly where
to be, at what time, is paramount to capturing your vision
on film. Up before dawn, hike to where you want to set
up shop, and wait for `magic time’. Sunrise. Patience
is the mandatory virtue, regarding successful landscape
photography.”
 You
may know LX Skye, through his song-writing and music.
Born on the south-side of Chicago, (many years ago),
weaned on guitar by the great bluesmen that resided there,
it is a passion he has continued, for over 40 years.
He has had successful bands in Chicago, and a punk-blues
band in Boulder, Colorado in the early seventies, before
retiring from live performances when he relocated to Moab
in 1976. He prefers doing only studio work, so he is one
of our most reclusive artists.
LX still writes, records, and releases his own cds here
in town. His latest electric cd is; `The Blues Aint Bad’.
“My influences are Albert King, John Lee Hooker,
and Muddy Waters, to name a few. It’s a shame young
people don’t know their musical roots. The early
blues pioneers, helped pave the way for rock and roll.
I’ve experimented with a lot of musical styles over
the years, but I always return to the blues. It is my first
love. LX has also generously, helped start quite a few
musical careers, with financial and influential support,
for upcoming local artists.
But, most of you may know LX Skye, as the Head Wizard,
at `Wizards Of The Desert Card Shop’, here in Moab.
For the past 13 years, he has been teaching and playing
`the greatest card game in the world!’, Magic: The
Gathering. “There are currently over 18,000 cards
to pick from in Magic. Some worth more than a $1,000. It’s
printed in over 20 different languages around the world,
and appeals to young and old.”
“Unlike other games, you don’t need books,
materials, miniatures, or God forbid, a computer! (LX hates
computers). All you need in Magic, is a 60 card deck, and
the strategy to choose the right cards for it.” On
a national rating scale for the game, seven of the top
ten Magic players in Utah reside in Moab!
LX hopes to retire soon. He has run the card shop for over
a decade, without a vacation except for funerals, and he
longs for the camera and the canyons, while he is still
able to.
“On this earth”, LX muses, “in this lifetime,
it is not ultimately how much wealth you have attained,
or how much material baggage you have acquired. But, what
kind of difference have you made on this planet? What have
you contributed? After you’ve traveled so many paths,
and made so many greedy mistakes, you finally arrive at
the realization, that life is all... in the giving.”
  
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