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NMBA member & Harris Award winner William deBuys gives interview with Nuevo Profundo Interview Series with the Historic Santa Fe Foundation. “This first interview is conducted by Frank Graziano with William deBuys at his home in El Valle, New Mexico. Bill, as you most probably know, is a wonderful writer, committed environmentalist, and currently the Board Chair of Searchlight New Mexico. His books included River of Traps, Salt Dreams, A Great Aridness: Climate Change and the Future of the American Southwest, and Valles Caldera: A Vision for New Mexico’s National Preserve, with photographer Don Usner. The interview is fascinating given Bill’s history in Northern New Mexico, as well as the constant buzzing from hummingbirds in the audio, and a fine interruption by Bill’s dog.” -Nuevo Mexico Profundo View the interview here.
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From Pat Goehe’s Facebook Page:
It is with great sadness that we must announce the passing of Patricia Ann Bahn Goehe, a mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, teacher, mentor, and friend to many. Pat was born in Staunton, Illinois, on February 17, 1934, and left us to start her latest journey on October 15, 2020.
First and foremost a teacher, Pat joined the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Department of Speech Communication in 1969, retiring as an associate emeritus professor in 1994. With a background in speech, theater, and English, including both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from SIU Carbondale, Pat received numerous awards over her long career, including her most treasured accolade, the Great Teacher Award in 1993 from SIUE, where she sponsored the Very Special Arts Festival offering individuals with developmental disabilities the opportunity to experience the arts in a hands-on way through interactive performances, art projects, and more. Some of Pat’s favorite memories included performing the role of Grace in Amazing Grace and directing The King and I, and starring opposite Johnny Haymer of M.A.S.H. fame in the play Tribute in St. Louis. Pat’s favorite musical was Les Miserables, and she had been looking forward to seeing her heartthrob Hugh Jackman in The Music Man before Broadway went dark due to everyone’s curse of 2020, COVID-19.
Pat dedicated her life to making a difference and breaking barriers, and retired to her beloved Santa Fe, New Mexico, to focus on her writing, publishing two children’s books. She was an avid patron of the arts, especially the New Mexico School for the Arts, where she attended every possible performance. Pat also loved dogs and had a lifelong connection to St. Clare of Assisi, but her greatest gifts were her children, Linda, Chris, and Gretchen, and grandchildren, Max, Vincent, Annemarie, and Loralai, whom she always encouraged to be the person they wanted to be and to follow their dreams no matter what anyone said.
It is with great sadness that we must announce the passing of Patricia Ann Bahn Goehe, a mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, teacher, mentor, and friend to many. Pat was born in Staunton, Illinois, on February 17, 1934, and left us to start her latest journey on October 15, 2020.
First and foremost a teacher, Pat joined the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Department of Speech Communication in 1969, retiring as an associate emeritus professor in 1994. With a background in speech, theater, and English, including both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from SIU Carbondale, Pat received numerous awards over her long career, including her most treasured accolade, the Great Teacher Award in 1993 from SIUE, where she sponsored the Very Special Arts Festival offering individuals with developmental disabilities the opportunity to experience the arts in a hands-on way through interactive performances, art projects, and more. Some of Pat’s favorite memories included performing the role of Grace in Amazing Grace and directing The King and I, and starring opposite Johnny Haymer of M.A.S.H. fame in the play Tribute in St. Louis. Pat’s favorite musical was Les Miserables, and she had been looking forward to seeing her heartthrob Hugh Jackman in The Music Man before Broadway went dark due to everyone’s curse of 2020, COVID-19.
Pat dedicated her life to making a difference and breaking barriers, and retired to her beloved Santa Fe, New Mexico, to focus on her writing, publishing two children’s books. She was an avid patron of the arts, especially the New Mexico School for the Arts, where she attended every possible performance. Pat also loved dogs and had a lifelong connection to St. Clare of Assisi, but her greatest gifts were her children, Linda, Chris, and Gretchen, and grandchildren, Max, Vincent, Annemarie, and Loralai, whom she always encouraged to be the person they wanted to be and to follow their dreams no matter what anyone said.
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Fellow member Elaine Pinkerton Coleman honored the late Pat Goehe by sharing a touching blog written by Pat on her website Goodbye Baby. The blog features the topic of adoption, something that was near and dear to her heart. Read her blog post here.
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This year we hosted our 7th annual Southwest Book Design and Production Awards! We had a robust set of entries and they were some of the best entries we had ever received. Our 2020 award competition aimed to recognize creativity and quality in book design and distinction in production for books published from 2018-2020. We had 14 categories and four expert judges looking for elements that met or exceeded industry standards. Authors were able to submit multiple titles, and could be entered into multiple categories so some books won in multiple categories! We had one special title saved for a special winner: Best in Show goes to "We Demand the Right to Vote" by Meneese Wall. Congratulations to all our talented authors and publishers who submitted their books!! Click the button below to see the full list of winners and their books!
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August 5th - September 9th
Wednesdays 6:30pm-8:00pm
$150 per person
Tap into the spirit of “summer camp” and have some fun! Whether you are young or young at heart--all ages and ability levels are welcome! Through improv games, storytelling, poetry and short readings, followed by writing prompts, we will play, write, speak and discover the stories waiting within us to be told—all from the safety and comfort of our own homes!
o register contact Laurie at: thepoetlaurie@hotmail.com or call (970) 390-5597.
Wednesdays 6:30pm-8:00pm
$150 per person
Tap into the spirit of “summer camp” and have some fun! Whether you are young or young at heart--all ages and ability levels are welcome! Through improv games, storytelling, poetry and short readings, followed by writing prompts, we will play, write, speak and discover the stories waiting within us to be told—all from the safety and comfort of our own homes!
o register contact Laurie at: thepoetlaurie@hotmail.com or call (970) 390-5597.
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Esther Melvin, NMBA author, is looking for a book designer to get her new title into print! Esther was our key member for bookselling NMBA titles at the Silver City book fairs and has rejoined us recently. The text is complete, but design and production help are needed right away. Her new book is a strong biography, with some photos, and should fit in a standard trade format. Contact Esther directly at (808) 746-1538 and esthermelvin404@gmail.com.
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Member Christine Lund is proud to announce that her book of poems, Me and Her Shadow, is now published and available for preorder to be shipped October 2020. Me and Her Shadow tells the story of the author’s journey of healing after the death of her daughter. The poems also celebrate her lost daughter’s life, through memories and some of her possessions. The author connects to her child through them, and through being out in nature. She sees her daughter first in butterflies, then in crows. While sensing her daughter’s presence in her heart, she comes to believe that spirit survives death. Yet there remains a poignancy to this loss. As she says at the end of her poem, Becoming a Healer, “…and while it feels like betrayal, healing has occurred.” Sometimes sad, sometimes uplifting, these poems are lyrical and honest, shared in the hopes of helping others who are experiencing loss—and everyone who feels love.
Christine R. Lund is a poet and writer living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Me and Her Shadow is her first chapbook of poems to be published. Each of these poems lights in some way on her daughter, Kaja, who died at age 23. This tribute and elegy is the story of a mother and daughter, shaped as a musical drama, with poems in place of songs. A self-portrait of Kaja appears on the cover. Christine’s poetry has been published in The Denver Post, Hungry Poets’ Cookbook, and The New Poets’ Anthology, among other publications. Her travel articles and book reviews have appeared in The New York Times, Albuquerque Journal, and Endless Vacation magazine.
To reserve a copy of Christine’s book, click here.
Christine R. Lund is a poet and writer living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Me and Her Shadow is her first chapbook of poems to be published. Each of these poems lights in some way on her daughter, Kaja, who died at age 23. This tribute and elegy is the story of a mother and daughter, shaped as a musical drama, with poems in place of songs. A self-portrait of Kaja appears on the cover. Christine’s poetry has been published in The Denver Post, Hungry Poets’ Cookbook, and The New Poets’ Anthology, among other publications. Her travel articles and book reviews have appeared in The New York Times, Albuquerque Journal, and Endless Vacation magazine.
To reserve a copy of Christine’s book, click here.
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Pajarito Press LLC of Los Alamos is proud to share the news that The Chile Line—Historic Northern New Mexican Recipes, an extraordinary cookbook of tantalizing recipes preserved by author Liddie Martinez, has won Honorable Mention in the 2020 Eric Hoffer Book Awards in the “Home” category. The Wire-O-bound volume is strewn with mouth-watering photographs by Liddie herself, with book design and photo manipulation by Pajarito Press’s art director, Mark Rayburn.
The award is accompanied by a judge’s commentary, which itself is a brief masterpiece describing New Mexico and its complex history, culture, and cuisine: “In New Mexico, the chile is a subject close to the heart—a topic that stirs emotion and, of course, perks the taste buds. From home-cooked treasures passed down from generation to generation, to timeless recipes that originated over 400 years ago in Spain, the author approaches this solemn topic with the tenacity of an academic and delivers it in such a way that even the cautious beginner can find success. With a variety of delicious recipes and a dash of history, the hungry and curious reader is sure to leave full, both of inspiration and knowledge of New Mexico’s prized cuisine and culture.”
The award is accompanied by a judge’s commentary, which itself is a brief masterpiece describing New Mexico and its complex history, culture, and cuisine: “In New Mexico, the chile is a subject close to the heart—a topic that stirs emotion and, of course, perks the taste buds. From home-cooked treasures passed down from generation to generation, to timeless recipes that originated over 400 years ago in Spain, the author approaches this solemn topic with the tenacity of an academic and delivers it in such a way that even the cautious beginner can find success. With a variety of delicious recipes and a dash of history, the hungry and curious reader is sure to leave full, both of inspiration and knowledge of New Mexico’s prized cuisine and culture.”
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Longtime NMBA member, Laurie Bower, gave a fun and informative online workshop on the basics of audiobooks. Laurie opened up the workshop by having all the participants practice vocal warm-up techniques. It was a hilarious sight to see the handful of expressions across the screen as everyone got involved. She covered vocal techniques to keep the audience engaged that could be used not only for audiobook recordings, but also for book readings and public speaking. The majority of the workshop was spent going over the basics of audiobooks, including why audiobooks may be an appealing avenue for authors, advice on how to choose someone to narrate your book, how to market an audiobook, and the general process of recording and getting to a finished audiobook. There was a robust Q&A session at the end where Laurie answered questions regarding pricing, types of software to use, and how to connect with professionals who can produce your audiobook.
Laurie Bower’s talent and passion for all things voice-related comes from years working as a professional voiceover specialist, narrator, actress, singer, radio ad and musical image producer, and DJ. Her numerous character voices and vocal styles come from a lifetime of observing and listening to the many characters she has seen and met, along with training and performance in theatre and film. She has performed professionally as an actress, storyteller, singer, musician, poet, and comedian. To purchase the recording and presentation from this workshop, click here.
Laurie Bower’s talent and passion for all things voice-related comes from years working as a professional voiceover specialist, narrator, actress, singer, radio ad and musical image producer, and DJ. Her numerous character voices and vocal styles come from a lifetime of observing and listening to the many characters she has seen and met, along with training and performance in theatre and film. She has performed professionally as an actress, storyteller, singer, musician, poet, and comedian. To purchase the recording and presentation from this workshop, click here.
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By Katie Dycus
Like many of you, words have built me and continue to sustain me during this time of isolation, instability, and even surprising joys. Books remain a vital way of bringing us together, even when the whole world lies in a state of suspended alienation, each of us within our own impermeable orbs. Books. They’ve the power to disrupt, organize, console. They take us out of the present moment and allow us to focus on things far removed from this world.
But art doesn’t just happen to us. It’s work. Books give us material with which to think: new registers, illusions, spaces. Even a chance to reflect upon our day-to-day life—what we do, when we eat, how we love. After that, it’s up to us.
I wanted to know how book people—especially those whose livelihoods depended on books—were coping, so I decided to ask. What follows are a set of mini-interviews with authors, booksellers, journalists, professors, poets, and literary translators. People who create the art that moves us both within and without states of alarm.
I asked each of them the same question: how has the written word carried you these past few weeks? Here’s what they had to say.
Like many of you, words have built me and continue to sustain me during this time of isolation, instability, and even surprising joys. Books remain a vital way of bringing us together, even when the whole world lies in a state of suspended alienation, each of us within our own impermeable orbs. Books. They’ve the power to disrupt, organize, console. They take us out of the present moment and allow us to focus on things far removed from this world.
But art doesn’t just happen to us. It’s work. Books give us material with which to think: new registers, illusions, spaces. Even a chance to reflect upon our day-to-day life—what we do, when we eat, how we love. After that, it’s up to us.
I wanted to know how book people—especially those whose livelihoods depended on books—were coping, so I decided to ask. What follows are a set of mini-interviews with authors, booksellers, journalists, professors, poets, and literary translators. People who create the art that moves us both within and without states of alarm.
I asked each of them the same question: how has the written word carried you these past few weeks? Here’s what they had to say.