Arizona Books

I recently had a conversation with a vetern professor of archaeology. He's a brilliant wealth of information, and he doesn't use the word "hip" too often. So when he described this book as "The 'hip' new thing in archaeology," I was a bit taken back. He turned over a copy, and I fell in love with it that night. Using his word, I'm going to continue to decribe this book as "hip," - here's why. It takes the format of a compilation of articles written by some of the leading professionals in the field. By formatting it in this way, the editors have provided a concise and detailed overview of new technologies that have helped archaeologists understand prehistoric behavior in the southwest. It is an absolutely necessary piece of literature, as it could be considered the jumping-off point for those interested in using high-technology to study ceramics. I would recomend the book to anyone who is interested in the science of archaeology and indian pottery. But if you decide to read it, don't expect an "Indiana Jones" type theme. It is very technical, and it is highly doubtful that the authors and editors had a popular audience in mind when they wrote it. But if you think you can take a heavy dose of science, then open wide and read it.

The author is to be congratulated for this scholarly yet readable account of the involvement of the American Catholic Church with the struggle of farm workers for social justice. Based upon solid archival research, including access to the records of the Bishops' Ad hoc Committee on Farm Labor and the papers of Msgr. George Higgins, this is a condensed version of Dr. Prouty's doctoral dissertation from The Catholic University of America (CUA) in Washington, DC. Unlike many re-worked dissertations for publication, this account is a coherent and well written study that also tells a compelling story. His sympathy for Cesar Chavez, a hero of almost saintly proportions to many Hispanic-Americans, is not blind to Chavez's shortcomings in building a strong farm workers union that could sustain itself beyond the heady days of boycotts and hunger strikes of the 1960s and 1970s. Dr. Prouty also discusses the roles of the three churchmen who, as members of the Bishops' Ad hoc Committee on Farm Labor in the 1970s, were crucial to the accomplishments of the nascent United Farm Workers (UFM) union in receiving labor contracts from growers, many of them Catholic, as well as the passage of significant legislation by the State of California. These men, Cardinal Roger Mahoney, the Bishop Joseph Donnelly of Connecticut, and the aforementioned Msgr. Higgins, strongly supported the farm workers when many of their clerical colleagues were indecisive or even hostile.

The missions in Latin America are very different from those in the United States. Saeger takes a unique view by looking at a group that was able to resist the missions. The book is very well written and gives you a sense of what the mission system looked like. The book is very well written and is straight to the point. It is divided up so that if you are only interested in a small aspect of the system you could read a few chapters or the whole book to get a sense overall. For those who want to understand the early Indians and Spanish interactions this is the perfect book.

The second contemporary romance novel by Virginia Nosky, Chance Encounters (2005 Honorable Mention for Fiction by the Arizona Author's Association) is set amid the election for an Arizona governor. Charismatic candidate Chance Mallory clashes with the determined mayor of Phoenix Barbara Stafford and her indispensable staff lawyer and niece, Athena Kerr. When Athena and Chance come together, sparks fly - but more than political realities barricade their feelings, as another woman in Chance's past comes to the fore. An engaging romantic adventure between highly competitive and competent individuals.

Just comparing photos taken decades apart, these authors lay bare the extent of transformation in Arizona's countryside over the past century. The cool-weather plants retreat northward and up the hillsides. The desert plants move in like a tide from Mexico. It's a merger of good science with viscerally clear communication.

--Brian Griffith, author of "The Gardens of Their Dreams: Desertification and Culture in World History"

This an excellent book that captures the essence of the Chicano Art Movement during it's formative years. A massive effort was undertaken to produce this book with contributions from too many to mention but including Ceasar Chavez, Martin Sheen, Edward James Olmos, various departments and committees at UCLA, and most notably The Wright Art Gallery. Lavish reproductions of original art work is displayed throughout the book. The artists featured are some of the best the movement produced, including David Avalos, Yolanda Lopez, Jose Montoya, Mario Torero, Ricardo Favela and Judith Baca, just to name a few. There are many other artists featured, these just happen to be some of my favorite from this book. The themes of the works run the gamut from Zapata to cholos, Frida Kahlo to lowriders, United Farmworkers to Chicano Gothic, McCarthyism to pachocos, murals, oils, pencil and multi-media works. A fabulous collection of works that represent the roots of the Chicano Art Movement. An excellent source book for anyone interested in the art of the southwest in it's early years. The various pieces of art are fully explained and given full analysis from a historical perspective. Find this book and add it to your art section of your personal library, the pictures alone are worth the price.

In their introduction to Chicano Sketches, the editors assert that the late short-story writer Mario Suarez "represents a unique case of an early Chicano author who remained faithful to his original purpose of creating a distinctively Chicano literary space." How early? The first eight of the 19 stories included in this collection were first published by the Arizona Quarterly between 1947 and 1950. The "distinctively Chicano literary space" Suarez created was grounded in the harsh realities of a barrio in Tucson called El Hoyo (literally "The Hole") which the editors term "an urban wasteland." Suarez, who was also a journalist, social activist and educator who relocated his family to Southern California in 1958, possessed a sharp eye for quotidian human experience. He populated his "sketches" (his term) with preening pachucos, avuncular barbers, unrepentant womanizers, chisme-loving comadres, clever swindlers and many other examples of humanity.

Suarez did not romanticize the Chicano experience; indeed, he acknowledged such social dysfunctions as alcohol abuse ("Cuco Goes to a Party" and "Loco-Chu"), indolence ("Kid Zopilote") and economic struggle ("The Migrant" and "Los Coyotes") while celebrating the beauty of Chicano culture ("Mexican Heaven"), human kindness ("Dona Clara" and "Senor Garza") and the work ethic ("Something Useful, Even Tailoring"). Quite often, Suarez relied on biting irony and comedic juxtapositions to illustrate his characters' vices and virtues. No collection of Chicano literature will be complete without this volume. [The full version of this review first appeared in Southwest BookViews.]

Lisa Schnebly Heidinger knows Arizona--in fact, Sedona was named after this talented writer/reporter's great-great grandmother. In this compendium of short pieces, Schnebly Heidinger gives a broad sampling of what it means to be from Arizona. Residents will likely nod in agreement, while tourists will delight to find vivid accounts relating to many of the people and places they have sampled as they've journeyed through the cities...and the country. Highly recommended if you are traveling to Arizona sometime soon.

Researched, compiled and edited by Robert Fallon (Professor Emeritus, Lasalle University, Philadelphia), The Christian Solider is an inherently fascinating and scholastically important primary source consisting of religious tracts published for soldiers on both sides of the English Civil Wars from 1642 to 1648. Hallmarked by a carefully annotated scholarship, The Christian Solider offers insight into the justifications used to resolve the seeming paradox of having a Christian faith while employing a deadly sword, then contemporary views upon royalty, and so much more. A revealing glimpse into history, religion, and human psychology, The Christian Soldier is an impressive and strongly recommended contribution to British History reference collections.

The book has some wonderful recipes for outdoor grub. Some are old and some don't use traditional units of measure. They are all great dishes, though. Stella also intersperses stories about camp cooks she has known, how they did things, what was important to them, etc. These stories are a great documentation of the western cowboy life. The section on sourdough is especially good.