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So, this is sort of a special month for me. It was 40 years ago this month that I got my very first professional byline – an article I wrote in the July 1982 issue of New Mexico Magazine. It was just a half page about the annual Fiesta in my hometown of Tularosa, but it was my first, and we always remember our firsts. Let's just call this my Ruby Jubilee as a writer. I like that. I like that a lot.


With the help of the very accommodating Circulation Manager at the magazine, I was able to track down an image of the cover, which is included here. Alas, the magazine itself is no longer available, but who knows. The internet is a very strange and wonderful place.



I’m dedicating this milestone to my mentor, the late, great New Mexico Poet Laureate Keith Wilson, who took me under his wing at NMSU, and pushed me to be all that I could be. Since that time, I’ve written and had published thousands of articles, as well as short stories, poetry, novellas, children’s books, stage plays, movie scripts, radio scripts, and so much more. Thanks for believing in me, Keith. I hope I’ve made you proud.

The 49th Annual Renaissance (virtual) ArtsFaire continues with an entertainment video that includes some of Las Cruces’ most popular entertainers and some of RenFaire’s most beloved characters, like Queen Cherrie (Sherry White) and Ratcatcher Robert (Bob Diven).

David Salcido is the videographer, editor and producer of the video, and Randy Granger and Chris Mitchell serve as co-hosts. It also features the Pied Piper Minstrels from Phoenix and the order of Epona jousters from Fort Collins, Colorado, along with Frosty Locks (Michael Kohn).

The hour-long video will be aired beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7, and continue with two additional loops until 4 p.m.

The RenFaire online auction continues through Nov. 7.

For more information, call the Doña Ana Arts Council at 575-523-6403. Visit https://daarts.org/.


On Monday, September 14, 2020, the Doña Ana Arts Council recorded their annual Community Arts Awards for digital presentation, rather than the full-fledged ceremony it has become, in order to honor the restrictions on social engagement due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In this scaled-down version, four awards were given for excellence in the Arts. This is the official video produced from those recordings, as assembled by me.



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