Red Crane Books are
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If you ever wonder why we call New
Mexico "The Land of Enchantment," you'll find a multitude of answers
in Jim Sagel's delightful essays.
As Sagel says: "New Mexicans laugh a lot."
--TONY HILLERMAN
Dancing to Pay the Light Bill by Jim Sagel The rich multicultural fabric of southwestern life presented with sensitivity and humor 160 pages, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2, 6 drawings, $9.95 paper, 1-878610-10-4 |
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Author of over ten books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, Jim Sagel based much of his work on the people and culture of northern New Mexico. He was a bilingual educator for over twenty years, working in school districts throughout the state. Sagel won numerous awards for his works, including the prestigious "Premio Casa de las Americas," widely regarded as the Latin American equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize and most recently "El Premio Literario Ciudad de San Sebastián, Spain," for the best play written in Spanish. Sagel was the first person outside of Spain to receive the award.
Always the Heart (pub date summer 1998) |
delightful panorama of southwestern culture is
presented in this collection of satirical and penetrating essays exploring
the language, turbulent history, and rich multicultural fabric of life in
this unique region. Jim Sagel peers into traditions and lifestyles such
as a century-old Indian elder stepping in time to a pre-Columbian dance
and conquistadorial lowriders cruising into Lotaburger futures. 
Sagel lived, taught and wrote in the heart of
traditional Hispanic and Pueblo cultures for more than two decades. In this
book he demonstrates his unique ability to observe the sometimes quirky,
always magical interplay of cultures making them accessible and entertaining
to a broad cross-section of readers. With fun and gusto he addresses such
diverse subjects as bilingual code switching, or "Spanglish";
the beauty and significance of the Hispanic oral tradition; and "invasions"
of the Southwest by immigrants who, despite their muskets and MasterCards,
all end up being affected by this enchanted land.