Customer Reviews

New Mexico: A Guide for the Eyes

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I have several shelves full of books on New Mexico, particularly photo essays, but the most recent addition stands out, and for very good reason. Elisa Parhad's New Mexico: A Guide For the Eyes captures something of the essence of the Land of Enchantment in a way that other books do not. Between the significantly colored turquoise end papers of this small book, Parhad takes us through a pantheon of cultural icons of the state. Some are well-known: adobe, chile, pickup trucks, hot air balloons, and the ocean of limitless blue sky, but also included are the not so well-known. Spending time with this book, one learns of Avanyu, the spirit of a serpent, which folk legend tells us resides in the rivers of New Mexico. There are also pawn shops, which have a surprising and historically important history in the state, and the Ditch Witch, a fictional creation of the Albuquerque city government intended to warn children away from playing in potentially dangerous arroyos, which can become flooded after a sudden rain storm.

The visual contribution to this book by an array of photographers is clear, graphic and very engaging. It's amazing how, by focusing on a small detail, the spirit of a much larger subject can be conveyed. An example is the viga. At first look it appears to be a photograph of a Navajo blanket, but we soon realize that the pattern is of the wooden ceiling structure traditionally found in older adobe buildings. The state symbol, the Zia sun, is cleverly illustrated by a shot of rusty license plates nailed to a wall.

I would recommend this book without hesitation to anyone who loves New Mexico and reading about American history and folklore. Parhad's writing takes the reader far below the surface detail usually covered in travel books. Even grumpy old Zozobra would love this book.

I also write about Albuquerque and Central New Mexico for my Bed and Breakfast guests and potential guests, and in my opinion New Mexico: A Guide for the Eyes is a New Mexico must-read. One day a guest bought this book and showed it to all our B&B guests. No one could put it down so I decided to stock them and offer a sample copy in each of our rooms, because this book gives such perfect insight and understanding of the New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment. It is often hard for visitors who are new to the southwest to understand the blending of cultures here, never mind all the new words and nuances because there is so much to take in on your first visit. I recommend getting this book before you visit. The knowledge it will bring you is priceless. The photography is top notch and will quickly lure you into our diverse culture. This book will make you an expert before you even get here. If you are already hooked on New Mexico, having this book in your library will take you back in your mind to all the beauty and wonderment of your first visit to the Land of Enchantment.

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

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!!!

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.

This book made me breathless...I was fortunate enough to live in New Mexico for eleven years, and grew to love the land, sky, people, cultures, history and sense of place that make it so distinctive and special. This book uses evocative images and words to captivate the seer/reader. I found myself moved to tears by the poetry of the photos and prose the book contains. It is as if the pictures are music and the words, lyrics; the author truly has a gift for sharing her understanding of the "Land of Enchantment." Read this book with your heart and your eyes, and you will come away from the experience deeply touched and illuminated yourself.