New Mexico Books

"An Owl on Every Post" has been my favorite book for thirty years, since the day I randomly perused it at a small local bookstore. I couldn't stop reading it. I was 14 years old. The authentic, straightforward account of a young girl's hard, yet magical, life on the plains sang to me as an adolescent and again years later when I read it aloud to my six year old daughter. It immediately became, and remains, one of her favorite books as well. She is twelve now and we are once again revisiting the Colorado territory. I guarantee you'll find something new and wonderful in this book no matter how many times you read it. Though it is written in a straightforward, unsentimental style you'll find yourself moved to tears, laughing aloud, staring wide-eyed with anticipation and fear, and experiencing monumental awe and wonder.

_An Owl on Every Post_ is a must-read book that captures the essence of life on the Great Plains in the early twentieth century. When the Babb family moved to rural eastern Colorado from a small town in Oklahoma, they couldn't have realized that they would lose nearly everything they had in the process. Babb relates her family's story from a child's eye perspective, and does so with enormous sensitivity and clarity. Hers is a moving story, beautifully told.

I have this book for one of my college classes, and it is really interesting to have a book that is not just a dry ethnography. I think it holds true to how it describes itself in the introduction: "We want to investigate one central and fundamental theme--the persistence of ethnic identity in the face of constant change...about groups of people who have maintained a strong sense of their own ethnic identity in the face of conquest, persecution, exile, and in some cases attempted genocide." Interesting insights and analysis. Tells of past, current issues, contact with Euro-Americans, and possible futures of these peoples. An interesting read even outside of class.

I bought this as a textbook for a class, but would highly recommend it to anyone interested in southwestern American Indian cultures.

This is a book that needs to become a movie but a film just couldn't capture the raw truth of this man's experience. Written in retrospect A Patriot After All covers a Chicano's life from emerging from an agriculutral family, to low level working class to a family striving to become typical Americans, yet held back by the realities of rascism, discrimination and their working class background. The writer embraces his own frailty to reveal the humanity of his family trapped by Society and repressed by their own shortcomings. Through it all he continues to try and be an American and never blames America for the abuse and self abuse he faces. Wow, what a story!

RAMIREZ HAS BRAVELY WRITTEN AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY PLOTTING HIS LIFE'S PILGRIMAGE FROM CHILDHOOD TO SOBRIETY. AS A TRUE AMERICAN VIETNAM WAR HERO, HIS VERY PERSONAL TALE IS INTERTWINED WITH MOMENTS OF GREAT JOY, CONFUSION ABOUT HIS HERITAGE AND SELF-IDENTITY, DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR AND HIS ULTIMATE SURVIVAL. I FOUND MYSELF ENTHRALLED BY RAMIREZ' WRITING STYLE. ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASSION, RAMIREZ' PROSE AND TIMING, IN THE MIDST OF THE MOST UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES, RIVALS THE BEST. EVEN THOUGH I LAUGHED AND CRIED WITH RAMIREZ, HE NEVER LOOSES SIGHT OF WHO HE IS AND RECOGNIZES MILLIONS OF WAR VETERANS FOR TAKING A SIMILAR JOURNEY.

MY HAT IS OFF TO MR. RAMIREZ FOR WRITING A POIGNANT AND COMPELLING BOOK THAT FREELY EXPOSES HIS INNER FELLINGS. HIS WILLINGNESS TO SHARE HIS LIFE, FOR GOOD AND BAD, IS TRULY STIMULATING AND INSIGHTFUL.

As a member of the Zuni Pueblo, I validate the position and tone set forth for the Zuni people in the text. In addition, this book exemplifies the issues the Zuni Pueblo faces today (2005) on paper rather than by death. This is an excellent book that gives a true representation of the history of Zuni Pueblo and the people. This is truely for the benefit of Zuni Pueblo.

An excellent, excellent book! This is an extremely well-written and very interesting book about a great man who played a very important role in the history of the Zuni tribe. This is a wonderful addition to the subject of Southwest U.S. history.

This is a must have book! The sheer variety of the photograhers and their representative work is stunning. For those who are expecting the run of the mill landscape book, you will be surprised, delighted and constantly fascinated by this book, as there is something to suit everyone's taste. Joel Peter Wittkin's photographs are not to be missed! As well, the articles on each artist are well written and edited, and essential to the appreciation of the artists. The quality of the book with it's hardcover case is among the best I've seen, making it an incredible value. I've ordered several as gifts for the upcoming holiday season.

Finally, a book that shows many of the finest photographers who currently reside in New Mexico and those who have had a major presence in the region. Thomas Barrow, curator of the book and a nationally known photographer, did a splendid job regarding his selections for the book. The quality and size of the images are outstanding. The book is long overdue and once again shows the importance of the art of photography in New Mexico in the genre nation-wide. Some of the photographers featured include Paul Caponigro, William Clift, Mendel Rubinstein, and Joan Myers. Photography: New Mexico is an excellent introduction for newcomers to the important photographers of New Mexico. It will also be a valuable addition to the libraries of professional and amateur photographers alike. Well worth the price!

Living in Las Vegas, my water concious conversion from grass
to drought tolerant plants and landscape had to be well
thought out. It also had to be an efficient, long lasting,
and effective action.
This book helped in all of those areas.

Judith Phillips books are a godsend to those of us who garden in the high desert. She understands our highly varied zones and which plants thrive in each area. The illustrations and codes are very helpful. I am a public librarian and have bought many copies of her three books for our library and to use at home. Rather than hitting your head against the wall and wasting precious water trying to make something grow that does not belong in your area, Judith helps you create a great garden that will thrive and be relatively low maintenance. Her suggestions on plant combinations are particularly useful. The only criticism I have is one that happened at the printers: the pages in the back of Plants for Native Gardens which lists a chart of adaptive plants are not numbered. I highly recommend all three of Phillips' fine books.

Having read the three other books focusing on the carnage at the New Mexico State Penitentiary in 1980 ("The Devil's Butcher Shop", "Descent into Madness" and "The Hate Factory"), Saenz' book offers a much-needed perspective of the horrific event ... the political side.

Saenz effectively gives the reader a birds-eye view of the horrific events unfolding those days in February 1980. From the gruesome, cruel and inhuman behavior occuring behind the prison walls to the dumb-founded ineptitude exhibited by government officials, who were completely helpless and pathetic in their actions prior to, during and following the riot.

You can't finish reading the book without shaking your head in anger ... at the corruption, nepotism, ignorance and arrogance of those in control of the prison system ... from low-level prison personnel to the governor. 33 men lose their lives in a horrific manner and, as usual, the only response from officials is finger-pointing and cover-ups ... only a handful of men responsible for the violence are prosecuted and relatively few lessons were learned by administrators ... it was "business as usual".

Saenz really makes your realize how fragile our prison system truly is and you end up hoping that his book is required reading by the governors of all fifty states.

I have read everything about the Santa Fe prison riot, and many other books about prisons. This is by far the best I have read. Why? Because Dolph Saenz was there, and because he puts effectiveness ahead of ideology. Unlike the politicians and idealogues, Mr. Saenz put his [rear end] on the line to help end the riot peacufully.
The Santa Fe prison riot is one of the most fascinating events in American penal history. Unlike Attica, which involved deaths only in the re-taking of the prison, this involved inmate on inmate and inmate on guard violence throughout the entire seige. I've visited the prison and received a tour by guards who were there. It is truly mind-boggling in the scope of the violence that occured.
My film production company has optioned the rights to Mr. Saenz' life story. As a former policeman in Albuquerque and Latin America, Mr. Saenz has seen many exciting historical events unfold. He has always confronted threats to public safety with bravery, humor and patriotism. This book is his true account of the grisly results of what happens when an apathetic public, opportunistic politicians, and negligent security combine to allow an explosion of epic proportions. Do not for a minute think it won't happen again, if we remain ignorant of the conditions that exist in prisons all across America. Read this book to gain a greater understanding of the tragic miscalculations that are still taking place today.

This is a tale of an incredible journey which helps to explain the passion and durablilty of Jewish families from around the world. It is both inspiring and, at times, chilling.

POMEGRANATE SEEDS. LATIN AMERICAN JEWISH TALES
by Nadia Grosser Nagarajan
Introduction by Ilan Stavens
University of Mexico Press ©2005
Reviewed by Cherie Karo Schwartz
*In full disclosure, I am mentioned in the acknowledgements of this book.

POMEGRANATE SEEDS. LATIN AMERICAN JEWISH TALES is unique and amazing in its scope and depth, uncovering and recovering lost fragments of Latin America's Jewish culture's stories which have almost been forgotten. Taking tiny pomegranate seeds of tales she lovingly gathered in person all over Latin America, and adding tales from the Israel Folktale Archives in Israel, Nadia recreates a whole richly tapestried world. As she states in her introduction,
"I was touched by the generosity with which most of the people opened their hearts to me and shared their memories, anecdotes, and life experiences. I have retold the stories--that at times were only fragments, scraps of real incidents mingled with perhaps some fantasy, or sketchy and detached-- creating a background when necessary so that the tales come to life as distinct entities."
Nadia knows this world. Her family had escaped from Europe to Ecuador during WWII. Nadia speaks fluent Spanish. She is immersed in Jewish folk tales, history, and cultures. She is a consummate researcher, which is also abundantly evident from her beautiful and meaningful first book JEWISH TALES FROM EASTERN EUROPE. And most of all, she is a deep story listener. Upon hearing the stories firsthand, she has woven these story fragments into full evocations of various times and places, people and circumstances.
From this point, Nadia adds a magical ingredient that sets her work above and beyond: her fine, melodic, poetic writing. Her words are at once incisive and evocative; they draw us into the scene, the world, and the spirit of each particular tale.
Take this example: the fanciful beginning of "Icarus the Frog" (from a Brazilian tale from the Israel Folktale Archives in Haifa)
"In the old days when animals were still able to talk, Rana Icarus the frog, looked different from the way she appears today. She was round and fat and,
although small and not very prominent among the other creatures, was pleased
with herself and proud of her intense green coloring...."
Nadia has drawn broadly to gather and retell these tales from many Latin and Caribbean countries. The stories are from Sephardic, Oriental, and Ashkenazic sources, family stories, history, folk tales, personal tales, immigration stories, and more. The reflect the diverse cultural range of this area's relatively small and proud Jewish populations.
Each story is one seed, one piece of the Jewish Latin puzzle, as she says. One of the most intriguing stories is a misty childhood immigration memory from Argentina via Warsaw, "Sea Monsters". Before relating the immigration story, Nadia leaps forward to tell of us of a future time:
"...Years later, when Malvina had already lived in Buenos Aires for a long time, she could never forget Warsaw, the way it used to be, and neither did all the other Polish Jews there who felt the same attachment and had many memories
of the old country."
In the middle of a seemingly realistic family immigration tale, this fantastic image develops, reflecting perhaps the monstrous situation that was growing for the Jews in Europe:
"Looking at the blue, placid surface of the ocean, she should have known that the monsters were figments of her imagination created by the difficulties of her
voyage, yet in her heart she believed they did exist.... Somewhere far down, in the
remote depths of the seas, those mythical creatures were not extinct but in search
of victims, and she had been fortunate enough to escape that ordeal."
This is a book that shines with a brilliance of poetry and purpose, bringing honor to those whose tales have been shared in its pages. It is a treasure for those of Latin descent, lovers of folk tales and folklore, for Klal Israel (all Jews), and for anyone who loves story. Nadia has brought these tales and this many-faceted culture to life for us, to share and learn and retell..... and to remember. Her accomplishment in this important volume is summed up in one of her stories: the ending of "Albertito" (from Buenos Aires):
"Zaideh died at the age of seventy,and his family has missed him terribly since then.His "Albertito Tales"--and there were many of them-- live on, though, and will be told and retold from one generation to another. He might even be listening to the new renditions, assuming, of course, that he is not too busy playing soccer in the heavenly fields, chasing two stubborn cows that will not stay in one place and wait patiently till the game is ended."
May we all listen, read, and remember generation to generation. And may we soon have more tales retold by Nadia Grosser Nagarajan.

The words and images of this beautiful book evoke feelings of love and gratitude. To God, to Nature, to the people, places and things in harmony with their surroundings. The photographer, author, and poet show true understanding of the meaning of life. Of simpler ways and of times past; while giving hope for the future, and times to come.

Lee Marmon is a Laguna Pueblo Indian who has been taking photographs of Laguna with professional cameras since 1946.
If you've seen the poster of the elderly Indian man wearing Converse All Stars (the image on this book's cover), you've seen Marmon's work.

This collection of his work since 1946 would be worthwhile if it simply documented the ceremonies, buildings, landscapes, faces and figures-what had changed and what did not---over more than a half century. But this volume is so much more. These are beautiful photographs, mostly in black and white. The stark magic of the Southwestern landscape was captured in the abstract paintings of artists like Georgia O'Keefe and Max Ernst. But black and white photos are inherently abstract, since they turn the world of color into shades and grains. Put a master photographer who knows his subject so intimately together with this landscape and you get one astonishing image after another.

There are wonderful faces, dramatic landscapes, close-ups that let you feel the grain of old wood. There's a different feeling in every photo, indescribable in words. And the feelings can be surprising, like the strange joy in "Girls at a clothesline," with white clothes flying against a wisp of cloud, yet in the foreground is a harsh and radiant edge of stone.

There are a smaller number of color photos, just as accomplished and evocative. There's some prose by Marmon's daughter, writer Leslie Marmon Silko, as well as by writers Joy Harjo and Simon Ortiz. But it's the photographs that are important here. They draw you in, and your eyes and heart expand. If you know someone who loves the mystery and bare majesty of the Southwest, or relishes authentic and beautiful images of American Indian life, this book makes an elegant gift for Christmas or any other occasion. If that person is you, do yourself a favor. You won't have any trouble entering these images. The secrets are there.

Written By David M. Johnson (professor emeritus of English and creative writing, University of New Mexico) Rebirth of Wonder: Poems of Wonder is an anthology of prose and poetry drawn from Johnson's life experiences in adventures across the world, from Minnesota to Mexico, Spain, and Greece. Each prose segment or free-verse poem is brief, yet at times wryly contemplative of the characteristics of diverse locales, as well as the foibles of human nature. "Epiphany": There's not a day / I'm not amazed / by God's excess. // Yesterday / birds filled every branch / of our apple tree. / Today / a young friend / had her womb removed." From the well-meaning hubris of family members to the gentle wonder of nature to the miracle of human birth itself, Rebirth of Wonder strikes a balance between dry humor, contemplative insight, and breathtaking amazement.

In reading this wonderful collection I was reminded of the title of a books of poems by James Kavanaugh, "There Are Men Too Gentle To Live Among Wolves." I suspect David Johnson may be such a man. In a gentle, tolerant, graceful manner he writes of "...our journey on this earth, following dreams, meeting other travelers who have taken to the road in search of themselves." He chronicles his journeys from his Norwegian family home in Minnesota to his life in New Mexico and onward to Mexico, Spain, and Greece. He celebrates his "common life" by writing of his family and friends which he see as guideposts"...where the commonplace...is celebrated." His poem Roadkill will give the reader an idea of his humanity and grace and is worth the price of the book. The book chronicles the life experiences of an extraordinary poet-teacher, father, husband, grandfather, and man of tolerance that will resonate with readers long after they put it down...if they can. Destined to be an award winner.