New Mexico Books

I thought there were only two current Tx authors, McMurtry and DeMarinis. Wrong again. This is a facinating book, a vivid description of the Presidio-Candelaria-Chinati Hot Springs region and the 'I hate law' people who are attracted to it. For those who want to experience it first hand, we can recommend a B&B across the river from Candelaria in San Antonio del Bravo (run by one of Sanderson's Presidio school teachers) where you can enter into local Mexian culture. Hiking in the region is not, however, without some danger from the Mexican Army. The B&B is extremely comfortable, has a 'Toscana' view of the Chinati mountains in the north, and has an excellent cook. Take El Camino del Rio with you and read it there!

Dolph Martinez is a Border Patrol agent in Presidio, Texas, the heart of Big Bend. During a tracking expedition, he discovers a murdered wet, a mojado, and from there begins unraveling the biggest drug scandal in Presidio's history. He discovers not only that both sides of the border are involved but that his friends are as well. As Dolph carries out his regular duties and his investigation, he is vexed by Barbara Quinn, a local nun and suspected curandera who preaches of "pure pain" and of having "mercy, compassion, and grace" for the "poor and dispossessed." She tells Agent Martinez that he should listen to his blood, and it is this dilemma that each character in the novel faces. The brutality of living on the border changes these individuals in both body and in spirit. Their harsh environment alters their perceptions of right and wrong, of what is real, even. El Camino Del Rio is amazing for the complexity of its characters. Happenstance controls these individuals' lives in a place where what is right and wrong are not always clear and where boundaries and rules, set not only by the American and Mexican governments but by the land itself, are everything. The border dictates their existence, and they are left to accept their fate, feeling as though they have no say-so in the outcome of their lives. Some are fortunate enough to escape; they see the harshness of the border and leave. But those who stay are sucked into an emotional numbness that changes who they are and what they believe.

Any one who comes across this book will already know what it's about. And if you know what a morada is, how it's situated between earth and sky, and if you know something about the Hispanos and Nuevomexicanos who created these buildings--then you will already have been blessed. Without the involvement of the Hermanos (listed in the back of the book), this collection of photographs would have been a lesser work. The persistence of the Penitente chapters and the existence of their moradas--in the face of corporate-industrial life which often degrades the soul--is a testament that Hispanos and Hispanas believe in one another. A feature of this book, En Divina Luz, that touches my heart is the text with excerpts from alabados (religious songs) and the paragraphs of memories from unnamed Hermanos. Thankfully, Varjabedian and everyone agreed not to say where these buildings are located: these are sacred places, not tourist attractions for the curious or amusement parks for people seeking entertainment.

The black and white photos are as good as anything from Laura Gilpin and Eliot Porter in their work in the same area of New Mexico. Photograph #18 "Moonrise over morada, dusk" is as good as Ansel Adams's "Moonrise, Hernandez" (1941) but for different reasons; I don't want to set up false analogies or comparisons, but Adams caught the village Hernandez just before World War 2 began a period of destruction, and Varjabedian's moonrise over the morada showed this particular place before the vandalism of September 1992.

Each of these photos is like a devotional item, an object for meditation or prayer. Photograph #57 "Morada after snowstorm, dusk, winter" and #17 "Calvario in snow" are so beautiful--so soothing!--on a July day of 90 degrees. My heart and intellect meet in aesthetic heaven when I look at #9 "Morada and low-lying clouds," #36 "Morada with separate Penitente chapel" and #40 and #45 and others; these photos show how the Brothers--way back in the 19th-century--located their places of worship in specific spots where hills and trees and meadows meet ways which raise the soul. Truly the photographer had to set up his camera where the lines of the hills magnified the lines of the morada. And he had to wait for the light in which to snap the shutter: He writes, "The light was becoming my teacher." But the photographer must also be unrelenting in his or her search for excellence; he must have within him that which is open to perceiving what can be seen only with the 6th sense.

I am a landscape photograper, like Mr. Varjabedian is, but not as good. His photographs are some of the best I have ever seen in my entire life, even better than Ansel Adams. This book is about "Los Hermanos Penitentes," or the Penitent Brothers, a Catholic lay brotherhood that was founded because of a lack of preists in New Mexico. The Brother's activities have always been very secret, but have been aggrandized by the early white settlers in the region. Mr. Wallis' text illuminates and fully explains this unusual brotherhood. I highly, highly reccomend this book to anyone interested in the history of New Mexico or, anyone who appreciates fine black and white photographs.

... is how the editors described their work. And indeed it is. Fortunately there was significant community support for this project, in the Albuquerque area, to underwrite the cost of this superlative production, so that the book would be affordable for the many recreational users of these "signature mountains" that form a dramatic backdrop to the city.

The editors assembled a true field of experts from across a spectrum of disciplines to write the various chapters. There are chapters on the ecology, weather, fire issues, geology, flora, fauna and human presence in the mountains. Flora and fauna are subdivided into different chapters, each with its own expert. The editing is superb, rendering a consistent style among the various writers. The book's layout is also superlative, with numerous sharp color pictures of the birds, flowers, insects and trees of the mountain. Particularly thoughtful and useful was grouping the flowers by color that minimizes the search when one is trying to identify a particular flower in the field. The page edges are also color-coded, for faster reference. There are excellent charts, maps, and pictures which explain the geology. The cover picture was selected via a contest.

There is a brief chapter at the end on the hiking trails, but this book is not really a hiking guide (that is a separate volume.) There is also a section at the end for personal notes, as it will be assumed that this guide will be used on numerous occasions, which is certainly one of the "bennies" of living in Albuquerque. The quality paper and spiral binding means that the guide should last as long as the user.

This is the essential Sandia mountain guide, and I cannot envision improvements. The aspens will again be turning, high on La Luz trail, in around a month, and I'll be seeing them, guide in hand. Thanks to all involved in this wonderful "labor of love." It has enriched the lives of the many repeat visitors as well as those who see it only once in a lifetime.

This is an outstanding book.
Anyone who lives in Albuquerque or within sight of the Sandia Mountains ought to own this. Not only is it co-written by Robert Julyan--who is among New Mexico's most articulate, most knowledgeable, and generally all-around BEST authors--but it's loaded with full-color photographs, bound in such a way as to ensure it will last for years (no matter how many backpacks it's shoved into), clearly organized, and as complete as you could ever ask a book for a general audience to be.
I recently wrote (and compiled photos for) a book about the histories of the towns of the Sandia Mountains, and this field guide was an essential tool in my work.
"Field Guide to the Sandia Mountains" covers the geology, the flora, the fauna, the human history, the place names, and so on, and I don't think I could recommend it more heartily.
Buy it, and let it introduce you, truly introduce you, to the mountains in your backyard.

This contains Nahuatl, some Spanish translations, and all translated to English. It is very useful for me as examples of the survivors of Toltec Moral behaviour.

Many scholars such as Garibay and Miguel Leon-Portillo praise Sahagun's works as one of the primary sources for pre-columbian knowledge and without a doubt this books relates the rethoric and ancient Mexican thinking in a fabulous way. It includes the original text in Nahuatl and an English translation.

This is a nicely done regional book. It is spiral bound, which I really like in a fly pattern book. Good crisp b&w photo of each fly pattern. The "fly recipes" and step by step directions for tying each fly are well written. The b&w illustrations are very nicely done as well. If you plan on fly fishing S CO or N NM, and tye your own flies, you will want to get a copy well ahead of your trip so you have plenty of time to try some of these patterns out.

If you live in New Mexico or southern Colorado and fish or tie flies you will like this book. It catalogs unusal regional fly patterns and the waters to fish them. I, of course, haven't tied or fished all of the patterns in the book but its an enjoyable read. Because these flies are not going to be found in even some of the best fly shops in the region the recipes and tying instructions are worth the price. The instructions also include a variety of techniques that are not as well described in other fly tying manuals. The only negative I can think of is the lack of color pictures, but I have a good enough imagination not to need them. Besides I'm a sucker for books from the University of New Mexico Press.

To truly be able to appreciate works of great art and the circumstances within which they were created require a knowledge and understanding of the life and times of the artists that create them. In "Frank Applegate of Santa Fe: Artist & Preservationist" students of this southwestern artist will be delighted with this elegantly written, carefully researched, informed and informative study. Co-authors Daria Labinsky and Stan Hieronymus bring a beautifully designed, profusely illustrated, and superbly presented compendium showcasing the life and works of Frank Applegate and his influence. Stan Hieronymus focuses upon Applegate's personal family history to life writing with an especial authority as his own father was Frank Applegate's nephew. Accessible written, and displayed with photos of family and Applegate's works of art (some of which have become well known nationally), "Frank Applegate of Santa Fe Artist & Preservationist" has been awarded the Southwest Book Award and is a valued contribution for personal, academic, and community library 20th Century American Regional Art reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

This book is an interesting read for those wanting to know about the beginnings of Santa Fe as an art mecca.

This guide has everything you need to know to discover and enjoy Northern New Mexico.

This book arrived very fast, was new, and the price was very good.

Excellent book which moved me beyond words.

With this book, Edmunds Bunkse (Professor of Geography at the University of Delaware) has produced both a moving autobiography, and a compelling account of humanistic geography. Bunske's life experiences and his professional projects are here intertwined, each motivating or informing the other. As an autobiography, this book offers an account of Bunkse's developing "geographic sensibilities" - or "knowing how to be in a place and how to find one's way about in geographic space" (13) - as these have been affected by experiencs of war, travel, parenthood. As a defense of humanistic geography, this book offers an account of how individuals' geographic sensibilities affect their understanding of and, more profoundly, their "orientation" in the world. This a geography of "heart and soul," wonderfully illustrated with the author's own life experiences.

Bunkse's choice of metaphor is apt. He links the practice of geography, and the development of geographic sensibility (which is nothing like geography education), with the humanistic concept of an "art of life." Humanists, certainly since Montaigne, have long upheld the view that each individual human life is like a work of art; each individual should be appreciated as a work of art is appreciated. Unfortunately, in many fields of study, such as geography, this humanistic perspective is overlooked. As Bunkse states, geography as a whole is generally lacking in humanity. Humans are present in geography, but not as complex and deep individuals. Bunske's book - and the work of other humanistic geographers such as Yi-Fu Tuan - attempt to redress the lack of humanity in the field. Bunkse achieves this by revealing the intimacy or depth with which he has experienced different environments (in both natural and urban settings), and the manner in which his imagination and experiences have informed each other.

Bunkse's book appears at a very propitious moment. Geographers are increasingly taking an interest in autobiography, or, more generally, the close study of individual lives. Hopefully, this broader interest in autobiography may promote more geographers to engage with humanistic thought.

All in all, this is a fine book. It is an enjoyable read, intelligent without being 'academic', and moving without any hint of sentimentalism.

A very interesting Book written about One of New Mexico's Greatest People!! A must have for NM history students and historians. I am not just saying this because he was my Great Grand Father.

Well researched and written biography of my Great, Great Grandfather. Tales of his colorful past and the many famous people he knew.

This book contains selections from Nicholas Callaway's other O'Keeffe books- One Hundred Flowers, In the West, and New York Years. If you own only one of them, this is the one to own. There are some surprising paintings in here, especially if you've only seen the flower paintings before. The book is quite large, and the color reproductions seem pretty accurate from the few paintings I've actually been able to compare. Wonderful book!

An absolutely gorgeous book of Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings of the southwestern United States. It's large size and fine reproductions make it one of my most treasured possessions!