"The Man Who Killed the Deer," by Frank Waters, 1942. More than a powerful writer, Waters was a chronicler of Native American ritual and mores, and a prophet of the waning West. In this novel, two cultures clash when a Pueblo man is ostracized by his clan. Waters is also the author of the important Native American work, Book of the Hopi.
"My Penitente Land: Reflections on Spanish New Mexico," by Fra Angelico Chavez, 1974. A master storyteller, as well as a monk of the Franciscan order, the late Fra Chavez compares northern New Mexico to areas in both Spain and the Holy Land. A book imbued with personal faith and poetry.
"Georgia O'Keeffe," by Georgia O'Keeffe, 1976. The painter, in her own words, describes the landscape around Santa Fe and tells how it has enriched her spiritual life. This definitive volume of her paintings is essential to understanding both the artist and the place she considered sacred.
"Desert Solitaire," by Edward Abbey, 1988. The renowned writer-philosopher Abbey paints a picture of the desert as full of life and receptive to one who searches for supernatural light in its brittle stretches. Passionate writing, and a plea for a return to nature and its promise of spiritual wisdom.
