New Mexico Books

In "Explorers in Eden," Jerold S. Auerbach, professor of history at Wellesley College, provides an insightful and critical account of the complex relationships between "explorers"--anthropologists, artists, photographers, and entrepreneurs--and the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico and Arizona from John Wesley Powell and Frank Hamilton Cushing at the end of the 19th century to the students of Franz Boas--Ruth Benedict, Ruth Bunzel, and Esther Schiff Goldfrank in the 1920s and 1930s. This followed by a chapter on the more recent feminist scholars who have found "inspirational models among their female predecessors, and grist for their gendered critique of American society" (p. 145). In an Epilogue Auerback places himself among the "explorers." This is an important and provocative book. While there are other explorers Auerbach might have considered, what he has chosen to do he does with wit and grace and, above all, a clearer sense of these encounters in a larger historical framework than any student of the Pueblos has attempted before.

"Los Ojos del Tejedor: The Eyes of the Weaver" is a wonderful regional story based on the author's youth. She is a descendent of the Ortega family of Chimayo. The Ortega family has been weaving in the small, rural community of Chimayo for more than eight generations and the quality of their rugs and blankets is well known. They own a store in Chimayo and in several other locations where their Hispanic style rugs and blankets are sold in many sizes. Chimayo is a mountain community north of Santa Fe best known for the Santuario de Chimayo, an old adobe church pilgrims flock to for its miracles of healing and tourists visit as a fine, historical example of New Mexico adobe churches.

This book beautifully describes Hispanic traditions and the importance of teaching the children these skills. Ten year old Cristina loves going to her grandparents' house, but she is particularly nervous about this trip. She knows that she is going to spend a week there to learn how to weave and is filled with anxiety over weaving as well as her grandfather, and she doesn't speak Spanish as well as she'd like. Her mother suggests that her cousin, who speaks better Spanish, should join her and their grandparents, and that makes Cristina feel more confident about her visit.

This delightful book moves beyond learning to weave on the loom. Cristina weaves in her own memories of Hispanic culture through other activities during this visit. Spanish words and phrases are sprinkled as regional seasoning, adding depth to the flavor of her story. A glossary of these words is found at the back to help non-Spanish speakers navigate their way through this book. Phrases are translated in the text of the book. In addition to stumbling with her grandfather's Spanish, she also picks regional vegetables from the garden and cooks traditional New Mexican foods, which also contributes to the fullness of the text.

The illustrations add a lot to the text. They are done in a "painterly" syle common among the works of the early Taos painters, supporting both the regional and historic feel of this book. The book does a beautiful and complete job of representing the New Mexico Hispanic culture and is a must for anyone who wants to learn more about this subject. But in addition to the social studies lesson, this book is about families and how they relate to one another. It is a personal story about a child's belonging to her family and rising up to their expectations with love and compassion.

This collection of correspondance between Pound and Cutting gives insight into the FDR era and the creativity that pervades it. Drs. Walkiewicz and Witemeyer should be commended for their meticulous research into the scene and political movements that still affect America today. One can not overlook the power of personality and friendships. Allegiances were so strong that formal political connections pale in comparison to the effect Pound had on the day.

This moving novel opens with Ellen Rood's suspenseful encounter with a rattlesnake in the early morning hours and ends late the same day with a vagabond, Leo, dying of TB while sleeping in the back seat of a junked car. Through the course of the day between these two events townspeople gather on the courthouse square where a riot nearly breaks out over the deep feelings of hopelessness in the face of poverty brought on by the Depression. The sheriff breaks it up, but accidentally shoots and kills a young man (Franz Vosz) when he fires off a warning shot. Apologies are made, the dead youth's family grieves, and life goes on.

The events of the story are not as important as the people and their reaction to things: Ellen's courage in killing the snake, Andrew Lake's fortitude and steadfastness while tending to his windmill, even Mrs. Vosz's knowledge that it was her insistence that Franz, against his wishes, go to town that day which leads to his death. The novel, Horgan's favorite of his own works, is poetic and carefully developed - the work of a real craftsman. We empathize easily with the characters and are deeply moved by their courage in the face of tragedy and violence and death. Horgan wrote that the main subject of the book was "human charity," and we can see that in the characters' willingness and insistence to go on, come what may.

I purchased this book looking for photographs by John Collier, Jr., and found Russell Lee and Jack Delano, too. I absolutely must have more of their work and will continue to look. Looking back, it seems that in the 1960s, journalism photography was defined by action-packed scenes from the Vietnam War, but these photos of the 1930s and '40s are more a document of how people lived in these adobe villages of New Mexico, particularly around Taos, (but also the trainyards of Albuquerque, and Anglo villages like Pie Town). I had sought out Collier's photos because of their still-life art quality--and found more. All these photos are quiet; they are haunted, somber, and play in the imagination long after the book is placed back on the shelf. These photos are like objects of contemplation, meditations on a vanished way of life preserved forever on film, the faces of women and men, boys and girls captured for posterity.

Truly, I believe that the people in these photos were not poor--as we think of the Depression; they were rich in culture and family connection, rootedness to their villages. My favorite Collier photo is "Congregation leaving the church after mass, Trampas, New Mexico, 1943." The women are in their Sunday best clothing ("American" style), vulnerable to the wind and snow, but faithful to their customs and way of life, while the buildings all around are "quaint" adobe. The haunted quality of these b & w photos is similar to that of Ansel Adams's, "Moonrise, Hernandez, 1941"--depicting a Hispano village about to change forever because of World War II and the out-migration of villagers. Thank you forever to everyone involved with preserving these photos; soulful gratitude to the long-gone photographers.

Charles Strong's career as a Bay Area artist spans four decades and many different mediums. Fire And Flux is an impressive catalog of his achievements using a visual approach to explore his works. Insights into his intentions and philosophy are included but the meat of the book lies in these presentations of his art.

"Fire from the Andes" is a collection of short stories written by women from Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru. Latin American literature has few prominent female authors and these three Andean countries have even fewer women writers. Having spent several months in all three of these countries, I can attest to the passion for life shared by this part of the world. This passion is reflected in these women's short stories, albeit sometimes painful and disappointing. Although these are fiction, the lives the women describe are common in these beautiful, magical, amazing countries.

This is one of the best books on a rather broad subject matter. The authors have done a commendable job of covering the availability and use of firearms during one of the most dramatic times in American history. Not only do they document the use of major manufacturers products, they also cover the use and possession of lesser known products as well. This is a well written and entertaining compendium of information that is bound to go down in literature history as one of the great books on the subject it covers. I recommend this book if you have any interest in this subject. It is well worth the money spent!

These comics are enjoyed by our entire family. Our 10 year old son can't seem to put them down as the illustrations and content are clever and entertaining. We love how Bently Boyd brings history to life in a fun, creative and easy reading style. After my son is finished reading he can't wait to share what he read with the entire family. We have acquired the entire set of Chester Comix with Content Series and love them all. These make a GREAT gift for anyone of any age or even for teachers as they are an awesome learning tool. A gift that keeps giving. This is a definate must have for the entire family. ENJOY!

The First Tortilla is a bilingual English/Spanish picturebook about a small Mexican village on the brink of starvation due to lack of rainfall. A young girl named Jade received a message from a blue hummingbird, telling her to bring a gift to the mountain spirit. Jade embarks on a journey to the top of the volcano, braving burning lava; the mountain spirit is pleased with her gift, and allows the ants in a nearby cave to share their corn with her. Jade uses the dry corn and water to make dough, and cooks it to create the very first tortilla. An ingenious retelling of a traditional Mexican folktale, vibrantly illustrated by prize-winning cultural activist Amy Cordova.