Winnerofthe2015SouthwestBookDesignandProductionAwardforGiftBookfromtheNewMexicoBookAssociationSilverWinnerofthe2015PubWestBookDesignAwardforHistorical/BiographicalBook2015SouthwestBooksoftheYearThepoeticproverbsknowntonuevomexicanosasdichosareparticulartotheirplacesoforigin.InthesereflectionsonthedichosoftheChimay籀ValleyinnorthernNewMexico,nativesonDonJ.Usnerhaswrittenamemoirthatisalsoavaluablesourceofinformationontherichlanguageandcultureoftheregion.Illustratedwithblack-and-whitephotographsthatUsner,whoisalsoknownforhisphotographicwork,tookofthepeopleandplacesthathewritesabout,thisbookisaone-of-a-kindintroductiontotherealNewMexico.UsnerhasknownChimay籀sincehewasaboyvisitinghisgrandmotherandtheothervillageelders,whotaughthimgenealogiesgoingbacktofamilyoriginsinSpain.TheSpanishhelearnedtherewasembeddedindichosandcuentos.ThisbookistheresultofUsner’sresearchintothesememorablesayings,anditpreservesalanguageandacultureonthevergeondissolution.ItisagatewayintoauniquelyNewMexicanwayoflife.
