Alright, following a two-month delay due to Covid-19 and an initial pre-order run to get my process down, I'm very pleased to FINALLY make "Abandoned New Mexico: Ghost Towns, Endangered Architecture, and Hidden History" available to everybody. Yes, that means there is now a City of Dust web store! There you can order a signed copy of the book directly from me, as well as find a book bundle, signed prints, and one-of-a-kind framed photographs. If you're near Albuquerque, Treasure House Books & Gifts in Old Town and Organic Books in Nob Hill have copies. We're working on getting the book into more independent shops throughout the state soon, and Amazon and Barnes & Noble are both shipping it now, as well. I'll happily send copies overseas, but postage is expensive (and the book weighs just over a pound!), so it might be worth checking Amazon in your country first...if it operates there.
The book clocks in at 40,000+ words and 160 pages, and contains 150 photographs. It's broken into eight sections, which include:
The Albuquerque Railyards
Central New Mexic
U.S. Highway 6
The Eastern Plains
Route 66
Southwestern New Mexico
The Old New Mexico State Penitentiary
Northeastern New Mexico
The initial response has been wonderful and I'm very grateful to everyone that has already bought a copy and/or helped spread the word. There has been a
fun Q & A in Albuquerque The Magazine,
nice review in New Mexico Magazine, and a
lovely spread in the Albuquerque Journal's weekly "Venue" supplement.
All that said, please get in touch if you have any questions or would like to order the book via another means (i.e., Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, cash, check, trade...I take 'em all).
Also, as the City of Dust blog has been dormant for the two years I've been working on this book (and moving across state lines a couple times, as well), I really, truly hope to resume posting here shortly. 2020 hasn't been kind to plans of almost any type or description, but fingers crossed!
And with that...please stay tuned!
12 comments:
I just bought your book through Barnes & Noble. I'm in So Cal and B&N had to order it from Albuquerque. Have read part way in and love it. I was born in NM (1945); have a Zia tattooed on my shoulder. My sister and her two grown children live in NM in different towns.
Thank you, Anonymous! I really appreciate you tracking the book down. And I'm glad you're enjoying it!
Do you get back to NM much to see your family? I sure do miss it myself!
Thanks again! JM
I last visited my sister in 2015. She lives in TorC. I love ghost towns so we visited Chloride, Hillsboro, and Lake Valley. My late wife had family connections to White Oaks so visited there too and donated 1884 newspapers to the museum. Am also a military historian so visited Deming Army Airfield and old Forts Bayard and Craig. I was born in Los Alamos, but I really like Silver City.
BTW: back before you began working on the book, I asked if you had been to the ruins at Puertecito in Socorro County (N34.44733 W107.39307). You replied that it was on your to-go list. Did you ever go there? I was hoping it would be in your book. If I remember correctly, the large building had been a trading post.
Ah, yes, I did make it to Puertocito! Twice, actually. On the first trip we focused on the larger ruin, which turns out to be relatively recent, and not the trading post of old. So a return visit was made to find the remains of the original Puertocito Trading Post. And find we did, although not much remains. You can see a photo and read some of the history, particularly regarding the Great Belen Train Robbery, at this City of Dust Facebook post. I posted a few more shots on FB, too. Just search for "City of Dust Puertocito."
I sure would've liked to have included Puertocito in the book, but, alas, I'd already blown through my contracted word count by 10,000 or so. Now I kinda wish I'd just pushed it through anyway. Well, if there's ever a Volume II...!
And you've definitely seen some great places! I included a lot of those locations in Southwestern New Mexico in the book. White Oaks would be another for Volume II. I had one of the best meals of my life in Silver City at the (sadly missed) Curious Kumquat featuring food foraged from the Gila Wilderness. Who would've thought?! I really like Silver City, too.
Hope you're doing well! JM
We recently moved to Silver City, NM and we like to get out and explore the area. Today we drove to Fierro and when I Googled it I landed on your blog. Now I just ordered your book! I look forward to reading it and using it to learn more about NM. Thanks for the info!
Thank you very much, Julia Osgood! I really appreciate you ordering a book! You'll find some other locations near Silver City within, including Kingston, Hillsboro, Pinos Altos, and Fort Bayard. There is essentially an infinite amount of exploration to be done in the Silver City/Gila Wilderness area. I really love the region.
Congratulations on your move, and stay in touch! JM
It was nice visiting you in Newkirk today.
Alvin Knowles
It was nice visiting with you, as well, Alvin Knowles! Of course, I wasn't sure if you'd get in touch, so it's good to hear from you! If you'd like a book, just email me at the address you'll find at the "View My Complete Profile" link in the upper right of this page.
Best Regards, JM
I ordered your book after reading about it in New Mexico Magazine.
As a native of Socorro, NM, I was especially interested in your visits to Riley, Contreras, San Antonio, Carthage and San Pedro. My maternal grandfather, Ricardo Zimmerly, was a contemporary of Gus Hilton, Conrad Hilton's father. In the 20's, he owned a drug store adjacent to Gus Hilton's mercantile store and hotel.
When you visited San Pedro, you reported that "The church is nowhere to be found . . . ." In the mid 1980's when my wife and I explored San Pedro, the church was still standing, barely. It faced what had been a village square with connected adobe structures on three of the four sides. All the structures were crumbling and the whole area was overgrown with mesquite, other brush and weeds. If you're interested, I can email you copies of the few photos of that visit.
Ed Baca
We moved out of the Manzano Mountains, down to Truth or Consequences. We were able to acquire a stripped out commercial/residential building estimated to be from the 40's or 50's. It is now our retirement home, with the outside to be restored next year. I look forward to ordering your NM book
Ed Baca, thank you for the comment, and thanks for getting a book, as well! Was the drug store near the post office? There is very little left in that area, but the post office still stands!
And, yes, I would absolutely love some photos of the San Pedro church! These places have been disappearing for decades now, and that is one of many times when I showed up too late. Alas. I can be emailed at: jmhouse(at)cityofdust(dot)(com). I very much appreciate the offer.
Thanks again! JM
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