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A
Selected,
Annotated Bibliography
of Books about
Taos and New Mexico
prepared
by Arthur J. Bachrach
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The list of books and authors
presented in this Bibliography is a representative sampling of
the rich literature of the beautiful region of New Mexico. It
is a selection that will undoubtedly leave out certain authors
and works. The comments and opinions are my own, which I trust
you will accept as such. Inasmuch as we want to have a Bibliography
that is current, we will update it regularly and your comments
will be sincerely appreciated.
Moby Dickens Bookshop,
and the other bookstores in Taos, will have most, if not all
of the titles discussed.. In this list we have discussed only
books that are currently in print. which, unfortunately, does
not include such fine works as Taos Mosaic which you may find
cited in guide books of the region.
Moby Dickens will
be delighted to be of assistance in providing more information
about books and authors, as well as locating books (both current
and out-of-print) in which you have an interest
We hope you will
find this Bibliography interesting and useful and that it may
somehow enhance your enjoyment of New Mexico.
Art Bachrach
"The West is a region
of extraordinary variety within its abiding unity, and of an
iron immutability beneath its surface of change."
-- Wallace Stegner
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Art and Architecture
In New Mexico
The first words Georgia O'Keeffe was said to have
uttered when she first came to New Mexico were
"The color! The color!" a sentiment legions of artists
and visitors who have come here can echo. Upon his arrival in
Taos on September 11, 1922, D. H. Lawrence wrote of his feelings:
"In the magnificent fierce morning of New Mexico one sprang
awake, a new part of the soul woke up suddenly and the old world
gave way to the new."
It is therefore no surprise that New Mexico, in
particular Taos and Santa Fe, became centers of art. There is
a rich literature of art and architecture in New Mexico, from
which we have drawn a representative sampling.
Two excellent catalogues, well illustrated, from
the Gerald Peters Gallery in Santa Fe:
Nicolai Fechin: Across Two Continents
Fechin emigrated from Russia and settled in Taos, where he painted
and did woodcarving from 1927-1933, when he moved to Santa Monica.
His home in Taos is a delight to visit and is open to the public
most of the year.
Taos Society Of Artists: Masters
and Masterworks
The Gerald Peters Gallery, in their catalogue of The Taos Society
Of Artists' work, covered the "Taos Ten," which included
Blumenschein, Sharp, Berninghaus, Phillips and the other original
group, but chose to add two artists, not generally considered,
who were members of the Society, painted in Taos, but then moved
on. They are Catharine Critcher and Julius Rolshoven, making
the "Taos Twelve."
Nicolai Fechin
Mary N. Balcomb
Foreword by Eya Fechin Branham Long out-of-print, this is a beautifully
illustrated book about Fechin.
Oscar Berninghaus
Gordon Sanders
A fine book, dealing with one member of the Taos Society Of Artists.
Fechin The Builder
Eya Fechin
As noted above, Nicolai Fechin spent six years in Taos
painting and doing superb woodcarving on his home.
His daughter, Eya, has produced a pictorial book on his woodcarving
as well as some of his artwork, along with an interesting discussion.
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Several works on Art and New
Mexico:
Desert Dreams: The Art and Life
Of Maynard Dixon
Donald Hagerty
Artists Of Twentieth Century New Mexico
David G. Turner
Taos Moderns
David Witt
Jim Wagner: An American Artist
Stephen Parks
Wagner, long a resident of Taos, is considered by many to be
a leading figure in contemporary art.
Agnes Martin
Barbara Haskell
Internationally known as a minimalist painter, Martin, a Taosena,
is well discussed by Haskell.
Behind Adobe Walls: Hidden Homes
And Gardens Of Santa Fe And Taos
Landt Dennis
The architecture and landscaping art of many of the finer homes
in Northern New Mexico come together in this colorful volume.
No description of art in New Mexico would be complete
without a listing of works on Georgia O'Keeffe. The following
is a sampling of major titles drawn from the many available:
O'Keeffe And Stieglitz; An American
Romance
Benita Eisler
Portrait Of An Artist: A Biography Of Georgia
O'Keeffe
Laurie Lisle
Georgia O'Keeffe In New Mexico
Marsha Bellavance-Johnson
Georgia O'Keeffe At Ghost Ranch
John Loengard
O'Keeffe At Abiquiu
Myron Wood
Agnes Martin: Writings
Agnes Martin
A collection of the artist's essays offer an interesting perspective
on her work.
AgnesMartin: Paintings and Writings
Barbara Haskell
Spirit Ascendant: The Art And
Life Of Patrocino Barela
Edward Gonzalez and David Witt
Barela, a woodcarver of Taos decades past, has been the subject
of a resurgence in interest in his work. Several years ago, a
traveling exhibit of his work visited major cities. Vicente Martinez
curated the exhibit, which started in Barela's hometown of Taos
at the Millicent Rogers Museum, and was instrumental in arranging
exhibitions at sites in inner cities so that young Hispanics,
not usually drawn to museums, might be inspired by the talent
and success of a poor genius. The book by Gonzalez and Witt is
a good accompaniment.
Spanish New Mexico Colonial
Arts Collection
Donna Pierce and Marta Weigel
The two volumes that constitute the set offer a stunning portrayal
of the Spanish Colonial age.
The Architecture of the Southwest:
Indian, Spanish and Anglo
Trent Sanford
An excellent survey of the various beautiful styles of Southwestern
architecture.
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Religious Folk
Art
The religious folk art of Hispanic New Mexico has
a rich history, dating back to early settlements, with the village
of San Gabriel having been established in 1598. Coming from Spain
and Mexico, early settlers brought their strong Catholic beliefs
to the towns they founded. In his book, What is a New Mexico
Santo?, a guide in both English and Spanish, Eluid Levi Martinez
discusses the early makers
of saintly images. It would be useful to differentiate the various
forms of Santos (Saints) and the terms used, as Martinez
does. Three types of Santos are made by the Santeros
and Santeras (Saint-makers):
1. Retablos These are paintings of Santos
done on a hand-hewn board, a plank coated with gypsum. The
two-dimensional images were later often painted on tin when it
became available.
2. Bultos are three-dimensional Santos carved from
wood, usually the available aspen, pine or cottonwood, coated
with gypsum and painted.
3. Reredos or Tablas are representations of Santos
in churches, painted on walls or on wooden panels situated
behind the altar.
There are excellent guides to the subject of Santos,
beginning with the work cited above:
Santos And Saints: The Religious
Folk Art Of Hispanic New Mexico
Thomas J. Steele, S.J.
Chistes
Nasario Garcia
A delightful collection of New Mexico humor.
Santos: Enduring Images Of Northern
New Mexican Village Churches
Maria Romero Cash
In black-and-white photographs, Cash has brought together an
array of 18th and 19th Century Santos, a broad presentation.
New Kingdom Of The Saints; Religious
Art Of New Mexico 1780-1907
Larry Frank
The development of religious art in New Mexico is traced, with
a collection of good photographs.
Saints And Saintmakers Of New
Mexico
E. Boyd, revised by Robin Gavin
Boyd's book is a true classic, long out-of-print. This revised
edition is welcome.
Santos and How to Name Them
E. Boyd
Our Saints Among Us: 400 Years
Of New Mexican Devotional Art
Barbara Awalt and Paul Rhetts
Another source of information about this lovely tradition
Charlie Carillo: Tradition And
Soul/ Tradicion y Alma
Barbara Awalt and Paul Rhetts
Carillo is one of the fine contemporary Santeros as well
as being a religious leader among the Hermanos (the Penitentes)
New Mexico Santos: Religious
Images In The Spanish New World
E. Boyd
A classic work on Santos and a basic sou
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Pictorial Books
River Of Traps
Text by William deBuys, Photographs by Alex Harris
This is a touching tribute, in words and splendid photography,
to a sheepherder named Jacobo Romero. The title is a translation
from the Spanish Rio de Las Trampas, on which Romero lived.
Taos Landmarks And Legends
Bill Hemp
Hemp, a resident of Taos, has created an informative text about
Taos, well-illustrated by his own sketches.
If Mountains Die
Text by John Nichols, Photographs by Bill Davis
This excellent book is an introduction in word and image of the
Taos landscape and its people.
On The Mesa
John Nichols
The Sky's The Limit
John Nichols
Two works in which Nichols' deep commitment to the environment
is clearly demonstrated in his text
and his photography.
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Works Of Non-Fiction
and Biography
A recent publication by
Arthur J. Bachrach
D.H. Lawrence
in New Mexico: "The Time is Different There"
A Biography of Lawrence's early years, his coming to to Taos,
his interaction with the community, with Mabel Dodge Luhan and
the influence of New Mexico upon his writings.
Two important works by the late
Taos author, Frank Waters
To Possess The Land
The story of Arthur Rochford Manby, an Englishman who tried to
establish a land empire in New Mexico and who died in Taos under
mysterious circumstances, with a decapitated body found in his
home, supposedly Manby's. A small book by Jim Peters, titled
Headless In Taos also deals with Manby and his bizarre death.
Waters' portrayal of Manby's interaction with people of the time,
including Mabel Dodge Luhan, make for fascinating reading.
Of Time and Change
Waters' last book, published posthumously, is a delightful collection
of his memories of the many friends he had in Taos, including
Leon Gaspard, Andrew Dasburg and Tony Luhan.
Pure Waters: Frank Waters and
the Quest for the Cosmic
edited by
Barbara Waters
This is a charming collection of
Frank Waters' works, essays and editorials, ranging from river
trips to the Manby mystery.
Rekindling the Inner Light:
The Frank Waters Centennial
edited
by Barbara Waters
For the centennial of Frank
Waters' birth, the Frank Waters Foundation assembled a group
of speakers to honor Frank. This publication contains all of
the talks by speakers which included John Nichols, Rudolfo Anaya,
Denis Chavez, Vine Deloria, and Alex Blackburn.
Mabel Dodge Luhan, the doyenne of Taos'
cultural life in the 1920's and 1930's, was hostess to such notable
visitors as Aldous Huxley, Robinson Jeffers, and D.H. Lawrence.
Mabel wrote extensively in journals and books about her experiences
in many worlds. Her marriage to Tony Luhan of the Taos Pueblo
provided yet another dimension to her life. Her series of autobiographical
works, generally subsumed under Intimate Memories, included
her first book, subtitled Background, European Experiences,
Movers And Shakers (her New York Fifth Avenue "Salons")
and the only one currently in print:
Edge Of Taos Desert
Not among the first four, but in print, is her interesting work,
Winter In Taos
Intimate Memories: The Autobiography
Of Mabel Dodge Luhan: 1879-1962
Lois Rudnick
Rudnick has virtually been the sole scholar to provide information
regarding Mabel Dodge Luhan and her life. Her works, cited in
this Bibliography, have been of great importance in this regard.
This volume contains an abridged collection of the four books
that constituted Mabel's autobiography.
Mabel Dodge Luhan: New Woman,
New Worlds
Lois Rudnick
The only biography on Mabel Dodge Luhan, it offers a valuable
look at a fascinating woman.
Utopian Vistas: The Mabel Dodge
Luhan House And The American Counterculture
Lois Rudnick
An interesting account of Mabel's house, the history
behind it, and the counter-culture represented by Dennis Hopper,
who owned it in his Hippie days.
An American Child Supreme: The
Education of a Liberal Ecologist
John
Nichols
A personal account of Taoseno John Nichols'early
years and the development of his deep concern for the environment,
reflected in so much of his writing.
High Flight
Ian
T. Simms
A poignant story of Taoseno Simms' devastating
auto accident that left him in a coma for two months and his
remarkable recovery with the help of his family and the community.
Women on the
frontier in the 1880's and early 1900's:
No Life For A Lady
Agnes Morley Cleaveland
The story of a girl growing up on a ranch in a remote area of
New Mexico
Down The Santa Fe Trail And
Into Mexico
Susan Shelby MaGoffin
A fine account of a woman's experience, her journey as an 18-year
old bride, from 1846-1847
Desert Wife
Hilda Faunce
Hilda was the wife of an Indian trader among the Navajo in the
years before the First World War,
1914-1918.
Birds Of Sorrow
Tom Ireland
A bright story of life along the Rio Grande, with lovely woodcuts
by Taosena Angie Coleman.
Great River
Paul Horgan
Another Pulitzer Prize winner for Horgan, it is an excellent
history of the region, dealing with the four cultures of the
aboriginal Native Americans, the Spanish. The Mexican and the
Anglo as they interacted along the Rio Grande.
The Great Taos Bank Robbery
Tony Hillerman
A series of essays about New Mexico, this is a charming book,
filled with humor and delight. The title comes from an aborted
bank robbery in Taos, in which the would-be robbers got tired
of waiting in line at the bank and left. Another essay weaves
the tale of mule-deer tracks in the mountains surrounding Santa
Fe and how they contributed to establishing the western campus
of St. John's College.
Enchantment And Exploitation
William DeBuys
An absorbing work, discussing life in a Northern New Mexico mountain
village, that has become a
classic, virtually required reading for those who wish to have
a better understanding of this land..
.
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Two award-winning books by Stanley
Crawford:
Mayordomo
Crawford's story of his experiences as a Mayordomo, the
chief of the local acequia in
Dixon, near Taos,one of the centuries-old water ditches crucial
to New Mexico's way of life.
A Garlic Testament
Life on the Crawford garlic farm in Dixon, which novelist Crawford
runs with his wife, Rose Mary.
Ski Pioneers
Rick Richards
Richards, a Taos resident, tells of the beginnings of ski activities
in the region, with a special nod to
Swiss Ernie Blake, who started the Taos Ski Valley.
Pueblo Nations: Eight Centuries
of Pueblo Indian History
Joe S. Sando
Sando, a member of the Sun Clan of the Jemez Pueblo, has written
a valuable history of the Pueblos.
Navajo Code Talkers
Nathan Anseng
The Navajo soldiers during World War II who devised a secret
code in their own language, which proved to be unbreakable by
the Japanese, formed a remarkable group of Native American heroes.
One of their number was Carl Gorman, father of famed Navajo artist
and Taos resident, R. C. Gorman,
The famous Indian Scout, Col. Christopher "Kit"
Carson lived in Taos and is buried in Taos in the
central Kit Carson Park. His home is now a museum, open to the
public. Many books have been written about him and one is an
autobiography:
Autobiography Of Kit Carson
"Dear Old Kit": The
Historical Christopher Carson
Harvey Carter
Kit Carson: A Pattern For Heroes
Thelma Guild and Harvey Carter
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Several books to acquaint
you with the pleasures of
Hispanic culture in New Mexico:
Dichos: Proverbs And Sayings From The Spanish
Charles Aranda
A very good bilingual collection of proverbs still heard in New
Mexico; such classics as "En boca cerrada, no entren
moscas! (In a closed mouth, flies don't enter!)
Nasario Garcia
Mi Abuela Fumaba Puros y
Otros Cuentos de ierra Amarilla
(My Grandmother Smoked Cigars and Other Tales Of Tierra Amarilla)
Sabine R. Ulibarri
Ulibarri, a professor at the University Of New Mexico, is renowned
as a magnificent storyteller. These tales of his growing up in
the Northern New Mexico village of Tierra Amarilla, told in Spanish
and English, are wonderful.
Cuentos: Tales From The Hispanic Southwest
Jose Griego y Maestas and Rudolfo Anaya
These stories, presented in a bilingual format, while fiction,
belong to a group of books which provide
an excellent reference work for studying the Hispanic culture
of the Southwest. They are also very suitable as stories to tell
children.
Refranes: Southwestern Spanish Proverbs
Ruben Cobos
A companion to Aranda's Dichos, Cobos' collection of a large
array of folk sayings in a bilingual format is enjoyable and
useful.
Dictionary Of New Mexico And
Southern Colorado Spanish
Ruben Cobos
The Spanish spoken in New Mexico and Southern Colorado (in the
San Luis Valley, for example) has
many different word uses and expressions and can differ from
standard Spanish. Combinations of
English and Spanish words, sometimes called "Spanglish,"
can be heard, as in "troche" for "truck"
or "lonche" for "lunch" Cobos' dictionary
is filled with interesting and, at times, amusing definitions.
One, for example, is Cara de lonche (lunch face) which
means someone of whom you can take advantage"Stick him for
lunch"?
Wah-to-Yah And The Taos Trail
Lewis H. Garrard
In 1846, Lewis Garrard, around 18 years of age, traveled west,
from Missouri to Taos, in a caravan led by the trader Ceran St.
Vrain. In this fascinating account of his journey, published
in 1850, Garrard recounts his adventures. When he arrived at
Taos it was the time of the Revolt of 1847, in which Gov.
Bent was murdered. His description of the events surrounding
the revolt are of interest because his is the only eyewitness
record of the trial and the subsequent hanging of the convicted.
Wah-to-yah is the Indian name for the twin Spanish Peaks north
of Raton and translates as "Breasts Of The Earth."
The
Grand Tetons have nothing on New Mexico.
The Taos Trappers: The Fur Trade
In The
Far Southwest, 1540-1846
David J. Weber
A scholarly, interesting review of the lucrative fur trade that
flourished in the West, with Taos a
center of activity. The annual rendevous of the trappers left
many settlers, including French Canadians, which is why French
names such as Ledoux and Lavadie appear prominently in Taos.
Brothers Of Light, Brothers
Of Blood
Marta Weigle
One of the best and most objective accounts of Los Hermanos (The
Brothers), the Penitentes,
Santa Fe And Taos: TheWriter's
Era 1916-1941
Marta Weigle and Kyle Fiore
The rich writers period between the two World Wars is well documented
in this informative volume,
Place Names Of New Mexico
R. Julyann
A book to keep in your glove compartment, so that when you see
a name of a town that puzzles you, there is an immediate answer
to its meaning.
Ve lo que dices / See what you
say
Nancy Maria Grande Tabor
Well illustrated, this book compares sayings in Spanish and English.
One example: "entre el diablo y el mar azul profundo,"
"between the Devil and the deep blue sea."
Dancing On The Stones
John Nichols
A far-ranging collection of essays by this noted Taos author,
he uses his perception and his wit to tell about his life, his
chronic heart disease and the way he has to deal with it, his
strong political convictions and his love of the land, especially
the beauty of Northern New Mexico.
Beautifully written, it is a warm, personal book.
Armageddon and New Mexico
John Nichols
This long essay on Nichols' days in New Mexico is anentertaining,
incisive and very personal account,
published only in a limited Collector's Edition of 90 copies
in a quality wrap edition, and 27 in hardcover.
The Harvey Girls
Lesley Poling-Kempes
This is a charming tale of the young ladies Fred Harvey brought
to the West to staff his restaurants along the railroad, bringing
a touch of grace to the region.
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