New Mexico Mercury

Emerging Voices: Elijah Bekaye

Curator's note by Stevie Olson: This week, Elijah Bekaye shares two poems. The first piece, “How It Feels,” explores feelings of isolation and loneliness. Elijah’s carefully crafts this piece to bring the reader on an emotional journey. “To: The Reader,” the second poem, offers gentle encouragement with touches of wisdom. With the poem’s clever punctuation, it deserves the reader’s full attention and a second read--it is, after all, addressed to you. Elijah, thank you for your piece. We wish you well this summer and beyond...

El Machete: La Llorona

La Llorona... more info

Weekly Poem: GRAMMAR LESSON EIGHT—Chapter Four: Nouns (Gerunds)

Verbs always push around
the nouns of this life

always doing stuff
we think of usually
as verbs

as actions—the word actions
a noun when verbs be-
come nouns when I sojourn forth
becomes sojourning
the fact that the sojourn journeys
forth into this darkness...

Emerging Voices: Michelle Gullett

Editor’s note: “Emerging Voices” is a new, ongoing segment featuring young writers from New Mexico.  Pieces will be presented by various mentors and teachers working with students across the state.  If you work with young writers and would like to highlight a standout talent, please contact us.  Essays, poetry, creative writings, personal experiences, or other projects are welcome.  Thanks to Stevie Olson for presenting this week’s Emerging Voice...

¡COLORES! June 13, 2014

Using ice books and other metaphors, eco-artist Basia Irland works with the complex issues of climate and ecological disruption...

Searching for today’s “Salt of the Earth”

We all know that Hollywood has made a number of films in New Mexico. But one film that gained the kind of notoriety that chambers of commerce don’t appreciate, was Salt of the Earth, an independent film produced by Paul Jarrico and directed by Herbert Biberman, released sixty years ago on March 14, 1954.

The film was shot in Bayard and Silver City and the script depicts an actual strike against the Empire Zinc Mine in Grant County in 1950. Many miners were recruited to play themselves in the film...

El Machete: RIP Chester Nez

RIP Chester Nez

¡COLORES! June 6, 2014

Kathy Flynn shares stories of discovering and saving New Mexico's WPA art treasures...

¡COLORES! May 30, 2014

Albuquerque sculptor Ed Haddaway pursues the irrational, the unconscious, and the intangible...

“Digital Latin America” artists in their own words

516 ARTS is bringing together artists from across Latin America, as well as some locally based talents, for their Digital Latin America exhibition.  The exhibition opens today with a block party from 5pm-9pm. We got a chance to capture a few of the artists speaking about their works in the exhibition and some of the themes involved in their work...