A letter from the publisher...

The phone rang, an old publishing friend wanted to talk about our sea kayaking trip on Lake Powell next month.

We talked about the water level being down due to the continuing Western drought and about the resurgence of the lush, native riparian environment.  We discussed where and when we would launch our boats; then swapped stories about his new publishing enterprise, and mine.

With this note, I re-launch Sherman Asher Publishing, which I purchased over two years ago. We are also pleased to announce that we have joined the distinguished family of publishers who are represented to the trade by Aaron Silverman, his fine crew at SCB distributors and some of the best independent reps in the business.

By its nature, sea kayaking - like reading - often reveals things that cannot be seen, savored, considered or felt any other way.  We expect to find rock art left by the Anasazi, ancestors of today's Pueblo Indians, and maybe ruins that have been underwater since the building of the ecological disaster called the Glen Canyon Dam. 

From my then vantage point as the publisher of another list in Santa Fe,
I recall when Sherman Asher  Publishing started up. I admired their motto
and the sentiment that went with it - one shared by local booksellers as well.

Why else be in this business?

Our purpose in kayaking Lake Powell is to take some small risks in order to find cryptic
images chipped into rock and maybe something unexpected.  We hope that you too
will take a small risk with both the front list and back list of Sherman Asher Publishing.

Best to you,

Jim Mafchir

Along with many fine titles acquired with Sherman Asher Publishing, also came not a pictograph, but a motto: "Changing the World One Book at a Time."