Thank You Taos Writers

Dear Writers:

Thank you so much for participating, listening, and reading during the recent festival “Taos Writers on Taos.” We raised more than $1000 to invest in fans, sound, and lights for the courtroom in the Historic Courthouse. Most of the money came due to John Nichols literary bout with himself on Friday night. Since he only got through Part I, we will ask him if he’s available for Parts II and III TBA.

Also we are much grateful to Robin Collier for recording and offering technical assistance during the three-day show, and to Rebecca Lenzini, Nighthawk Press, Kelly Pasholk, Steve Fox, and Lisa Marie Noudehou, Barranca Press and Rick Smith of Brodsky Bookstore. Our sponsors included WinkVisual Arts, Taos County’s Art and Artifacts Review Committee, Taos Council of the Arts, SOMOS, and Nighthawk Press.

For those who heard the readers in their entirety, one could see how the festival was hooked together not only by common themes and experiences but also by the particular attitudes and styles of the writers.

On Saturday Fabi Romero, and on Sunday Trudy Valerio Healy provided insights on what it was like for a native Hispana to grow up in San Cristobal and Ranchos de Taos. Further both women contributed to the understanding of various land and water issues during introductions and discussion.

Of particular continuing interest, scholar Elizabeth Cunningham (1847, A Tale of Two Sisters), activist Kate Matthews, and academic/anthropologist Sylvia Rodriguez lifted the conversation from the private sphere to public discussion concerning issues of historic trauma, land and water. Certainly, I am looking forward to Sylvia’s series with renowned scholars at the Harwood, sponsored by SMU/UNM this fall, beginning Sept. 10.

Julian Romero on WWII and Bob Romero on Taos History offered responses to the past. Of particular note is Bob’s continuing effort to educate the community at UNM and through the successful sales of his book.

Just as Cindy Brown and Steve Tapia focused on the local mountains and the animals, so
Fabi, Trudy, Phaedra, Sylvia , and Kay gave us a taste of the greater acequia culture. Similarly we got a dash of farmyard culture from Deb and Linda in terms of chickens, grasshoppers, and pigs. We enjoyed Kay’s experience on the back of a horse during a cattle drive.

Bob Silver, Martha Grossman, Deb Villalobos-Whaley, Catherine Naylor, Linda Fair, Jill Wasden, Debra Diamond all offered insights into local culture and everyday life aqui en Taos. Both Villalobos-Whaley and Grossman displayed personal courage in their commentaries on private life and the human condition.

Each in their own way, John Farr, Kika Vargas, Richard Trujillo, Anne MacNaughton, and Fred Dillen portrayed the results of a serious writer at work, each of  whom is working out an individual vision.

We got insights into Taos Pueblo life from John Suazo (The Man Who Really Killed the Deer) and Jonathan WarmDay Coming, who read an excerpt from a new work of fiction set at the village. For a broader view of Taos Pueblo, American Studies teacher Steve Fox read from R.C. McCutcheon’s tale, “Taos Indians and the Battle for Blue Lake.”

Both Taylor Streit and Jim Levy addressed the late sixties/early seventies and the arrival of the “fourth” culture (hippies) in Taos. Rick Richards’s unique (interviews) history of TSV captured the voices and beginnings of a major Taos sub-culture i.e. skiers.

Just as Nichols offered insights into the writing trade, so Wagner did the same for artists, and Paul O’Connor for photographers, all with a Taos twist. The questions from the audience indicated a deep and abiding interest in the process of these creative arts.

For me personally, I was gratified to see long-time friends and adventurers Richard Trujillo and Fred Fair stand up and tell their tales whether in person or by proxy. Indeed I was much stimulated by Debra Diamond’s book on “near death experience,” a concept I had considered only in more conventional terms. I personally was happy to read my “Tribute to Ruthie” from “Gringo Lessons” as a way of thanking Taosenos for taking in an alienated young man lo’ these many years ago. And we even sold some books.

As a reminder, I hope you and all our audience members will remember to attend the UNM/SMU fall series scheduled for the Harwood. Remember that this coming weekend, the community celebrates Cesar Chavez. See the Taos News and flyers for the schedule.

Best Bill

P.S. In terms of audience, we packed the house, SRO for Nichols. Attendance averaged about 25 to 35 per hour with as many as 75 for Wagner and a decline toward a low of 15 during a couple of mid afternoons. During the late afternoon and evenings attendance increased to fifty or so.