University Library News Release
Date: April 15, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jeanette Smith, NMSU Library, (575) 646-7492, jcsmith@lib.nmsu.edu
Library Announces Program on New Mexico: A Guide to a Colorful State
Mardi Mahaffy and Sylvia Ortiz of the NMSU Library will present a program on New Mexico: A Guide to a Colorful State, the Federal Writers' Project travel guide to New Mexico written during the Great Depression. The program will be held on Monday, April 27, at 4:30 p.m. on the fourth floor of NMSU's Branson Library.
First published in 1940, New Mexico: A Guide to a Colorful State was completely revised in 1953. For the Writers' Project, writers were hired to create a volume for each state covering its history, geography and culture. Each volume includes photographs, maps and drawings. The New Mexico Guide is considered to be one of the best in the series because of its beautiful photographs and coverage of the state's three cultures.
The program will focus on the controversial history of the Guide, highlight key sections within its pages and explore how the guide portrayed New Mexico's cultures. Daniel Sandino-Molloy will read some of the Guide's more entertaining passages.
More information on all the state guides is available at: http://www.senate.gov/reference/resources/pdf/WPAStateGuides.pdf
The program is part of "Soul of a People: Writing America's Story," a series of free public programs about the New Deal Federal Writers' Project. The programs are co-sponsored by the New Mexico State University Library, Branigan Cultural Center and the Thomas Branigan Memorial Library.
"Soul of a People" programs in libraries nationwide are presented with the support of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH): great ideas brought to life.
The local programs are made possible by a Soul of a People grant to the NMSU Library from the NEH with additional funding from the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico.
For more information, contact Mardi Mahaffy at (575) 646-6925 or mmahaffy@lib.nmsu.edu or Sylvia Ortiz at (575) 646-7481 or sortiz@lib.nmsu.edu or visit http://lib.nmsu.edu/projects/soul/.
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