New Mexico: A Guide for the Eyes (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Lynne Arany (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Review

I highly recommend this 'blue corn, blue door, blue sky' delight, not only as a guide for travelers, but as a book on teachers' desks, here at home and around the world. Somehow this writer takes us across centuries of landscape while leaving that green chile taste on our lips and that vast blue sky in our hearts. --Marth Becktell, Interim Museum Director of Albuquerque's Indian Pueblo Cultural Center

Like a secret decoder ring for the state--Parhad's approach is a genius way of sharing New Mexico's unique culture. No guidebook (not even mine) is both so focused and so informed. --Zora O'Neill, Author of Moon New Mexico

What a great way to introduce guests to the beauty and allure of this place, as well as serve as a resource for those of us who have lived in and loved New Mexico for many years--a fun and thought provoking read. --Cathy L. Wright, Director of the Albuquerque Museum of Art & History

Product Description

Visually focused, packed with cultural insight, and sized for portability, Guides for the Eyes celebrate the local traditions and visual vernacular that surrounds us. Operating at the intersection of art and anthropology, each edition in the series explores place through 100 of the most notable features of a region. Vivid photography and informative text provide insight into the significance of each topic, covering regional architecture, design, flora, fauna, food, crafts, folklore, landscape, and other facets of local identity and style. Ranging from the obvious to the obscure, these distinguishing elements define a locale as somewhere as opposed to anywhere.

As one of the most unique and colorful regions of North America, New Mexico is the first subject of the series. Throughout thousands of years, the state s striking landscape has inspired the art, design and traditions of its three dominant cultures: Native American, Hispanic and Anglo/Western. These distinct groups continue to blend and evolve, infusing the rustic land with a compelling vibrancy, unrivaled in its beauty.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: EyeMuse Books; 1st edition (August 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0982049706
• ISBN-13: 978-0982049709
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #410,983 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Enchantment in small bites at a time, October 27, 2009

By	Robert C. Ross (New Jersey) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Elisa Parhad has produced what she calls "a conversational phrasebook for the eyes", meant to help the casual visitor decipher the symbols, foods and land formations that make up the "everyday soul of a place." Each entry consists of a photograph and a written description, and there are over 100 entries in this pocket sized guide book.

"Reading" the book takes a certain poetic mindset. It's best to just look at a single picture and allow it to wash over your imagination. Then read Parhad's short description, which will lead your imagination along one or more of paths that she has already taken. The photographs are so well chosen that you may find new pathways, or find pathways you didn't know existed in images you know well.

For example, the pickup truck is endemic in New Mexico, and on first vieweing Parhad's photo and description were interesting but not especially memorable. On a second (or was it a third?) viewing, though, I suddenly noticed the dried mud along one of the fenders, and realized that I had seen a variety of dirt and mud on trucks as I walked through a parking lot near Albertson's on my last visit to Santa Fe. Each truck carries a record of its recent journeys through the dirt and gravel roads and byways that are so common in the state.

Although I enjoyed dreaming through the book, the written entries sometimes seemed cryptic and left me hungry for more information on the entries I didn't know, and, rarely, a little bored by the entries I did know well. (Or thought I did - sometimes a second or third viewing as with the pickup truck picture led me to new delights.)

[A small sampling of the photos including some of the trucks appears at the eyemusebooks website; the author maintains a very pretty website with some delicious recipes, some lovely pictures, and a bit about things that bring joy to her life.]

Nonetheless, this little book makes a very pretty gift for someone who doesn't know of the treasures that are part of the fabric of the Land of Enchantment. It's also a wonderful aid to the memory and imagination of people who know the state well.

Robert C. Ross 2009

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and Unique Travel Guide!, August 17, 2009

By	Emily A. May "konigindiva" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is a revelation for any traveler who has seen some type of knick knack or local dish and yearned to learn more about it. The selections in the book are thoughtful, and the pictures do justice to the eclectic beauty of New Mexico. I recommend this book to anyone who has any desire to go to NM, as well as those who, like me, can't wait to go back! In the introduction, there is mention of more Guides for the Eyes...I can't wait!!!

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning book!, August 17, 2009

By	DaliDrama (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This is a fantastic book about New Mexico. I am new to the SouthWest and have found this to be filled with stunning photographs, each of which has detailed information about the state and culture. It's a book you can re-visit many times and find it enjoyable with each read - very educational, fun, and unique.