New Mexico Books

The second volume of the "Women's Biography" series, Sandra Day O'Connor: Justice In The Balance is the remarkable true story of the first female United States Supreme Court justice. From her humble beginnings on a cattle ranch, where she learned important lessons about hard work, self-reliance, and the greatness of the outdoors, to her studies at Stanford University, her struggle to find a job as a lawyer in an era when law firms did not want to hire women, the responsibility of juggling her career with marriage, politics, three children, and breast cancer, and her nomination to her judicial post of prestige by President Ronald Regan. A solid biography of the "quiet feminist", written for readers of all backgrounds, and especially recommended for school and public library collections.

I have had the visual experience of the beautiful Sangre De Christo mountain range and this book is an excellent photo representation of this virgin landscape. Sangre De Christo means "the blood of Christ". This book had VIVID pictures that took my breath away and truly made me want to go back. I really enjoyed it!

The beautiful polished black and polychrome pottery of Santa Clara Pueblo is rivaled in design and execution only by that of its neighbor, San Ildefonso, among the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico. In recent years it has been sought by growing numbers of collectors and investors. Details entire process with many photos and illustrations. -submitted by BooksDealer = Alex Silverman [taken fronm the back cover]

Writers have come to Santa Fe for decades en masse, for well over a century in a handful of cases, and for many hundreds of years if you include the fragments of myths and history hinted at through rock-pecked petroglyphs.

It was not until 1916, however, that enough writers began moving to Santa Fe that people began to refer to them all as a writers' colony. It was in 1916 that poet Alice Corbin Henderson first moved to the city, desperately hoping that New Mexico's desert climate would help to dry the tuberculosis from her lungs. As Corbin Henderson recovered, she began inviting her friends to come to visit her from other states. Many of these friends were poets and writers, and many found themselves strongly influenced by the worlds of the Western desert, the exotic mix of cultures, and the ancient past that Santa Fe had suddenly shown to them. Years went by, a spirited rivalry with the writers of Taos evolved, and writers continued to discover Santa Fe for themselves.

Some stayed for years, such as Mary Austin, author of the classic 1903 "Land of Little Rain"; and poet Witter Bynner, a man perhaps less well-known today for such books as "An Ode to Harvard and Other Poems," than for being openly homosexual in the 1920s, and for pouring a glass of beer over the head of visiting poet Robert Frost, in 1935.

Others, such as Willa Cather---who found in Santa Fe the inspiration and setting for her controversial classic, Death Comes for the Archbishop--stayed merely long enough to get an idea, get motivated, or be inspired.

Marta Weigle--a Santa Fe writer herself--is undoubtedly one of New Mexico's best historical writers, and this is one of my favorite books of hers. It's co-written with Kyle Fiore. The book details the dramatic histories of both the Santa Fe and Taos writers' colonies, and does so clearly and entertainingly, drawing effectively from the authors' rich knowlegdge of New Mexico history in general. It's full of terrific photographs, and well worth whatever you pay for it.

Highly recommended, and an excellent companion to Lynn Cline's "Literary Pilgrims," and Barbara Harrelson's "Walks in Literary Santa Fe."

This is a beautiful book, full of color photos of old and new (mostly new) Santa Fe style homes. If you are looking for how-to advice, historical description, or much text at all, this book is not for you. However, it was a perfect choice for me, since I was (still am) designing a new home and wanted a wide variety of examples of southwest homes. There are chapters on entrances, courtyards, and individual rooms, each page filled with wonderful views of both traditional and more contemporary details. The last section of the book (about 75 pages) focuses on Santa Fe arts, and features baskets, pottery, kachina dolls, furniture, sculpture, paintings and more. A friend loaned this book to me nine months ago, and after turning pages dozens of times and marking favorites with sticky notes, I finally decided to break down and give myself the gift of my own personal copy.

As a native and life-long resident of Santa Fe, I was impressed by Andrew Leo Lovato's ability to capture the history and cultural minutiae of New Mexico so succintly and smoothly. For the informed Hispanic or New Mexican native, "Santa Fe Hispanic Culture: Preserving Identity in a Tourist Town" is essential. The book, a quick but dense read, is a worthwhile experience for anyone interested in the dynamic and controversial history facing today's Hispanos, Anglos and Native Americans. Lovato is one of New Mexico's prized cultural literati and his debut is informative, smoothly written and highly recommended.

Developed by The Museum of New Mexico Foundation Members and Friends, Santa Fe Kitchens: Delicious Recipes From The Southwest is a cookbook of over 300 mouth-watering dishes from a variety of accomplished Santa Fe chefs, including the proprietors of Coyote Cafe, El Farol, Harry's Roadhouse, Jinja Cafe, and many more. Sample recipes include such culinary delights as Chile Cheese Cookies, Pasta Fiesta Salad, Chicken Santa Fe, and Pinon Nut Cookies. Illustrated with vintage photographs and artworks centered around the seasonal beauty of Santa Fe, Santa Fe Kitchens is truly a "best-of-the-best" recipe book showcasing the highest talents of the local professionals, and reflecting a measure of the zest of the city itself.

The chapter edited by Tara Plewa remains one of the most enlightened discourses on the Santa Fe River that I have ever read. Plewa is a brilliant writer, with a knack for detailing this area and its history is an unparalleled manner... this one is not to be missed, and be on the lookout for anything that Plewa writes!

This book is exactly what I was looking for. Perfect condition and rapid delivery. Great service.

Cleaveland, Agnes Morley, 1874-
Main Title: Satan's Paradise, from Lucien Maxwell to Fred Lambert; with decorations by Fred Lambert.
Published/Created: Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1952
Description: 274 p. illus. 22 cm.
Subjects: Lambert, Fred, 1887-
Frontier and pioneer life--New Mexico
Cimarron (N.M.)