NMSU Archivist’s Book Makes List of New Mexico’s 100 Best
Date: January 13, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jeanette Smith, NMSU Library, (575) 646-7492, jcsmith@lib.nmsu.edu
The book The Whole Damned World: New Mexico Aggies at War 1941-1945 by New Mexico State University Library archivist Martha Shipman Andrews is among the titles listed as the 100 Best New Mexico Books.
The list was announced in January by the New Mexico Book Co-op in time for the New Mexico Centennial in 2012. Books were voted on by authors, librarians and the public. There are classic books on the list as well as relatively new books.
The Whole Damned World was edited by Andrews, with an introduction by Richard Melzer of the University of New Mexico-Valencia. It was published in 2008 by the NMSU Library in collaboration with Rio Grande Books.
It appears on the list with such classics as Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya; A Thief of Time by Tony Hillerman and Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather.
The Whole Damned World consists of approximately 250 letters written to NMSU Dean of Engineering Daniel B. Jett by former students serving in all branches of the services and every theater of World War II. The entire collection of 5,000 letters is held by the Archives and Special Collections Department of the NMSU Library.
Andrews said, “I can’t quite get my head around being on a list with Willa Cather and Tony Hillerman. My dad would be proud and that gives me a lot of satisfaction. I wish I could let all the letter writers know they have a sort of immortality.”
The Whole Damned World was previously awarded the New Mexico History Book Award, the first-ever Best New Mexico Book Award, and the Caliente Award from Reading New Mexico.
Information about the 100 Best New Mexico Books is available at http://nmbookcoop.com/Projects/Best-Books/Best-Books.html. The Whole Damned World is available at local bookstores and online at Amazon.com. For more information, contact Andrews at (575) 646-5028 or mandrews@lib.nmsu.edu.
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