The poetic proverbs known to nuevomexicanos as dichos are particular to their places of origin. In these reflections on the dichos of the Chimayó Valley in northern New Mexico native son Don J. Usner has written a memoir that is also a valuable source of information on the rich language and culture of the region. Illustrated with black-and-white photographs that Usner, who is also known for his photographic work, took of the people and places that he writes about, this book is a one-of-a-kind introduction to the real New Mexico.
Usner has known Chimayó since he was a boy visiting his grandmother and the other village elders, who taught him genealogies going back to family origins in Spain. The Spanish he learned there was embedded in dichos and cuentos. This book is the result of Usner's research into these memorable sayings, and it preserves a language and a culture on the verge on dissolution. It is a gateway into a uniquely New Mexican way of life.

Chasing Dichos through Chimayó (Querencias Series)

History

Usner, Don J.

Americas

University of New Mexico Press

Review\n"What is missing in collections of proverbs from medieval times to the present is context. How and when do people actually use them in conversation? And who are the dichosos, those talented performers of dichos who share and teach them? With the help of his mother, Estella Chávez Usner, Don Usner commemorates them with camera and pen. These deeply drawn family and community memoirs show that genealogy in New Mexico is more a performance than a dusty archive; it is a living exercise in verbal art. Usner's book includes sayings that are centuries old as well as those that are recently composed and locally adapted. Accessible and poetic, this repository of dichos and refranes as used in New Mexico brims with authenticity."--Enrique R. Lamadrid, author of Hermanos Comanchitos: Indo-Hispano Rituals of Captivity and Devotion\n"This book is a marvelous recovery project. In flowing and sometimes wistful prose, Usner records the customs, history, and oral expressions of the people of Chimayó. The author's journey back to his village roots, his patient attention to detail, and his gift for storytelling provide compelling reading. In this collection of dichos framed by autobiographical vignettes, we hear the voices of Usner's family and ancestors. We feel their presence. They continue to reside in the spaces and stories of the community. Chasing Dichos through Chimayó is a testament to the wisdom of generations. But it is equally a reminder of a vibrant and enduring linguistic heritage."--John M. Nieto-Phillips, author of The Language of Blood: The Making of Spanish-American Identity in New Mexico, 1880s-1930s\nWinner of the 2015 Southwest Book Design and Production Award for Gift Book from the New Mexico Book Association\nSilver Winner of the 2015 PubWest Book Design Award for Historical/Biographical Book\n2015 Southwest Books of the Year\nThe poetic proverbs known to nuevomexicanos as dichos are particular to their places of origin. In these reflections on the dichos of the Chimayó Valley in northern New Mexico, native son Don J. Usner has written a memoir that is also a valuable source of information on the rich language and culture of the region. Illustrated with black-and-white photographs that Usner, who is also known for his photographic work, took of the people and places that he writes about, this book is a one-of-a-kind introduction to the real New Mexico. 
Usner has known Chimayó since he was a boy visiting his grandmother and the other village elders, who taught him genealogies going back to family origins in Spain. The Spanish he learned there was embedded in dichos and cuentos. This book is the result of Usner's research into these memorable sayings, and it preserves a language and a culture on the verge on dissolution. It is a gateway into a uniquely New Mexican way of life.

Sabino's Map: Life in Chimayó's Old Plaza recounts and celebrates the history of the Plaza del Cerro, the only fully intact colonial plaza remaining in New Mexico. With its lively oral histories and rare historical photographs, Sabino's Map is the first in-depth look at perhaps the best known Hispanic village in the American Southwest. Sabino's Map provides a thorough cultural history of Chimayó, from prehistoric settlements to the current struggles of an isolated community in a modern and changing world. Through historical photographs, collections of documents preserved by author's family, and from the words and memories of the people who live there, Usner evokes a poignant sense of the colorful people who remember and continue to make the history of the Plaza del Cerro.

Sabino's Map: Life in Chimayó's Old Plaza: Life in Chimayó's Old Plaza

Biographies & Memoirs

Historical

Museum of New Mexico Press

This travel narrative goes beyond the roadside neon, using architecture as a means to explore Route 66 history in New Mexico in four lively driving tours. For any Route 66 buff or traveler who wants an interesting look at New Mexico, this book takes a fresh look at its well worn subject--America's Mother Road.

New Mexico Route 66 on Tour: Legendary Architecture from Glenrio to Gallup

In 2000 President Clinton signed into law the Valles Caldera Preservation Act, a visionary piece of legislation that transferred to the public domain a privately owned ranch in northern New Mexico. This book tells the natural and human history of the preserve, presents photographs of its splendor, and outlines the unique administrative experiment now underway to manage its public lands.

Valles Caldera: A Vision for New Mexico's National Preserve: A Vision for New Mexico's National Preserve

Debuys, William

Don J., Usner

Lowriding is a beloved cultural tradition in New Mexico, especially the northern communities and villages including Española, also known as the lowrider capital of the world. The classic car fixed up for shows and cruising has become a symbol of Hispano and community pride for the car aficionados, artists, and mechanics whose lives are immersed in the culture. They flaunt their cars in public―locals and tourists admire classic lines, upholstered interiors, and shiny chrome hubcaps when they pass by. It isn’t surprising they captured the eye of other artists who have photographed the beauty and uniqueness of this art form. Thanks to them, we have a wonderful forty-year record of the cars and their makers as well as their homeland. Photographs by New Mexico’s most renowned documentarians such as Alex Harris, Jack Parsons, Miguel Gandert, Annie Sahlin, Meridel Rubenstein, Don J. Usner, and Siegfried Halus are included alongside photographers newer on the scene, creating a fascinating compilation of lowriders over time. From the magnificent views of New Mexico’s gorgeous landscape through the interior of a lowrider by Alex Harris, to Jack Parson’s iconic lowrider images that were published in the classic MNM Press book, Low ’n slow: Lowriding in New Mexico, to Miguel Gandert and Don Usner’s cultural take on lowriders and their communities, we are able to look back at an enduring but evolving tradition. In his essay, Don J. Usner provides an insightful overview of lowriding in New Mexico, how it evolved, the culture, and the car makers themselves who are also known as lowriders. In his intimate interviews with lowriders, he records in their own words what lowriding means to them as they mourn lost friends and family―icons in the community―and discuss generational shifts and trends.

¡Órale! Lowrider: Custom Made in New Mexico

Arts & Photography

Photography & Video

About 1.25 million years ago, a spectacular volcanic eruption created the 13-mile wide circular depression now known as the Valles Caldera, located in northern New Mexico. This revised & expanded edition marks the twentieth anniversary of the Valles Caldera Preservation Act, a visionary piece of legislation that transferred to the public domain a privately owned ranch (signed in 2000 by President Bill Clinton). The preserve was assigned to a board of citizens appointed by the president to manage it as a self-sustaining preserve. The experiment in semi-private land management ended in 2014 as the Valles Caldera was legislatively reassigned to the National Park Service.

Valles Caldera: A New Vision for New Mexico's National Preserve

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Usner, Don J.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Usner, Don J.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Usner, Don J.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Chasing Dichos through Chimayó (Querencias Series)

Chasing Dichos through Chimayó (Querencias Series)

Sabino's Map: Life in Chimayó's Old Plaza: Life in Chimayó's Old Plaza

New Mexico Route 66 on Tour: Legendary Architecture from Glenrio to Gallup

Valles Caldera: A Vision for New Mexico's National Preserve: A Vision for New Mexico's National Preserve

¡Órale! Lowrider: Custom Made in New Mexico

Valles Caldera: A New Vision for New Mexico's National Preserve