Albuquerque's literary potential

July 7, 12:47 PMAlbuquerque Literature ExaminerBritta Hurula

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Many art forms require specific conditions to exist and flourish.

Music requires an audience, and those who create it require a place to perform, create, and possibly record it. Actors need an audience as well, and those who hope for fame flock to locations that hold the promise of opportunity. A dancer must have her stage, music and an audience for her craft to be properly presented. Literature stands apart from these disciplines, however, as it does not require that the creator place himself in a particular location.

Authors seem to be subject to different requirements for success. Emily Dickinson hardly ever left her house and lived during a time when communications did not extend far beyond one’s community, and yet her works are some of the most well-known and respected in the world of literature. Thoreau made a point of avoiding civilization as much as possible, and his writings are still demanded in bookstores the world over. The popularity of the written word lies not within the location of its creation, but the marketing strategies it is subject to.

And it is in this way that Albuquerque is able to have such rich literary offerings though it is not remarkably populous.

Among Albuquerque’s most prominent authors are Caroline Meyer, Tony Hillerman, Parris Afton Bonds, Dave DeWitt and Suzy McKee Charnas. The genres covered by their works span from Meyer’s historical non-fiction to DeWitt’s cook books to Charnas’ vampire novels. Needless to say, Albuquerque’s literary offerings are quite diverse.

Many works produced by local authors reflect the cultural tendencies of the area, with Hillerman’s mysteries taking the cake. While Meyer’s “Rio Grande Stories” is basically a synopsis of local traditions, her most recent book was on the life of Mozart. Charnas’ characters rarely existed in New Mexico (perhaps due to their legendary aversion to the sun), but one of her books did take place there.It is books that depend on the local arid landscape for a setting that not only serve to provide education concerning the state’s heritage, but also preserve it.

Many publications that originate from locally located authors have little to do with the state itself, however, and it is this disparity that proves Albuquerque’s potential as a home to great writers. The local flavor provides a source of inspiration and subject matter, but its influence is not so overpowering that all other ideas and possibilities are stifled.