Rio Grande Books News

SACRED FEMININE Featured in NM Magazine
Award-winning author Judith McLaughlin and her new book SACRED FEMININE are featured in a book review in New Mexico Magazine. McLaughlin won the 2009 New Mexico Book Awards in her category and won a 2010 New Mexico Press Women’s Award for Sacred Feminine. Sacred Feminine examines the role that culture, religion, sociology, art, and gender play in the development of religious, Santero art in New Mexico. McLaughlin also looks at images of women in sacred art in New Mexico.
New Mexico Magazine says:
"Ever since Spanish Colonial times, santos — the sacred folk-art figures depicting Roman Catholic saints that are the objects of daily prayer and community celebration in New Mexico—have helped carry on the faith in this rugged area. Although much research has been devoted to santos, the artists who make them (santeros), and the creation of these devotional figures, little attention has been paid to the role of feminine symbolism and iconography in this tradition. In Sacred Feminine, author Judith McLaughlin helps to remedy this oversight. She explores santeros’ depictions of Mary, the mother of Jesus and the key feminine figure in Catholic tradition, as well as how the glorification of these feminine figures affected the roles of women in Spanish Colonial society. To illustrate the concepts discussed, the book includes many photographs of santos, bultos, and retablos; however, McLaughlin fails to pinpont the connections between the specific pieces presented and the concepts she describes. Additionally, these pieces of religious folk art are presented in black-and-white, which doesn’t allow the reader to fully appreciate their colorful beauty. On the whole, however, Sacred Feminine — which won the 2009 New Mexico Book Award for Best Religious Book—is a fascinating look at this artistic tradition that both scholars and art fans will appreciate."--May 2010
BOOK SIGNING
Sunday, June 20 at 1pm --Treasure House Books, Albuquerque, NM

Connie Gotsch www.conniegotsch.com Host Write On Four Corners KSJE FM, Farmington NM www.ksje.com Author two award winning novels Snap Me a Future and A Mouthful of Shell available at Amazon.com and from me right here.

And now out! Belle’s Star,’ a youth novel from Artemesia Press at http://www.apbooks.net and amazon.com, and through your local book store. Winner 2010 Mom’s Choice Award Finalist 2009 New Mexico Book Awards.

New Mexico Author Linda Jacobs

New Mexico Author Linda Jacobs will sign her novels Summer of Fire, Rain of Fire, and Lake of Fire this weekend. in the following places:

Yellowstone National Park
August 30 - Old Faithful's Yellowstone General Store - morning. Old Faithful Inn Lobby - afternoon.
August 31 - Lake Hotel Lobby - afternoon
September 1 - Canyon Area Yellowstone General Store - morning.

September 5 - Valley Bookstore, Jackson Hole, Wyoming , 3-5 p.m.

Lake of Fire has now finaled in the Spur Awards, taken third place in the National Federation of Press Womwn 2008 National Communication ContesluncheonConnie Gotsch and in Las Cruces, the Branigan Friends of the Library have just selected it as their book of the year from a local author out of a field of thirteen authors' entries. I will be appearing at a luncheon at the Farm and Ranch Museum on Sunday September 21.

www.conniegotsch.com Host Write On Four Corners KSJE FM, Farmington NM www.ksje.com Author two award winning novels Snap Me a Future and A Mouthful of Shell available www.dlsijpress.com

Always in Print ‘Cuz They’re Print on Demand!

Coming in 2009, Belle’s Star,’ a youth novel from Artemesia Press at http://www.apbooks.nett