library talk

May 23rd, 2013

Overdue books make librarian grumpy

By RENEE MICK

The Marfa Library staff loves nothing more than to check out books to our patrons. But hey, folks! Those books need to come back in a reasonable amount of time. We don’t charge fines on books, and we don’t mind if they’re kept a little longer than the two-week …

library talk

May 23rd, 2013

Texas library conference report

By RENEE MICK

Librarians across Texas met at the Texas Library Conference April 24-27 in Fort Worth, and I was fortunate enough to be among them, thanks to the University of North Texas and the PEARL Project. And not just this year, but last year too!

Renee Mick, Marfa Public …

¡ask a mexican!

May 23rd, 2013

Firearm ownership down Mexico way

By GUSTAVO ARELLANO

Dear Mexican: Like many Americans, I’ve heard about the “Fast and Furious” scandal in which our own ATF was shown to be guilty and corrupt of supplying guns that ended up in the hands of the drug cartels. Now, if I say any more, I might be talking about …

¡ask a mexican!

May 23rd, 2013

Inventing words in Spanish

By GUSTAVO ARELLANO

Dear Mexican: Where did the notion of adding an -o to the end of an English word and assuming it makes it a Spanish word come from?

Juanito

Dear Wab: “Anglos have long held power in making Spanish and Spanish-speaking culture invisible,” writes University of South Florida assistant professor of foreign language …

¡ask a mexican!

May 23rd, 2013

Norteño brothers and sisters

By GUSATVO ARELLANO

Dear Mexican: Why is it that people from Chihuahua and Monterrey are such jackasses? They come from pinches ranchitos and talk about their haciendas, they cross the border and act as if their cagada does not stink. Why do pinches chihuahuenses act as if they are better than us American …

steve’s column

May 23rd, 2013

Appreciating teachers’ tolerance

By STEVE LANG

“There are three good reasons to be a teacher – June, July and August.” – Unknown

In another setting, fumbling with scissors and flubbing finger painting may have doomed me to eternal life in the first grade.

However, my teacher, Miss Lynne – for whom our elementary school was already named – …

steve’s column

May 23rd, 2013

M is for a multitude of mirthful memories

By STEVE LANG

“May you stay forever young.” – Bob Dylan

My 91-year-old mother still bakes and sends her 63-year-old son cookies, while I tell her jokes.

During this past Tuesday’s phone call, she said she had mailed 57 cookies “and a few other goodies to fill up the box.”

In …

steve’s column

May 23rd, 2013

Inter-netting more fishy tales

By STEVE LANG

“If an eel lunges out/and it bites off your snout/that’s a moray…” – Anonymous

My father used to tell me that the secret of successful fishing was to fish at the same mentality as the fish.

In other words, don’t go overboard trying to outsmart them, no matter how many times you …

high desert sketches

May 23rd, 2013

Spring comes to the High Chihuahua Desert

By GEORGE A. COVINGTON

During the first week in May we had 2 days with highs of 91. The third day the high was forty with an overnight low of 22. Mother Nature, you murdered the blossoms on our pecan, apple, and peach trees (not to mention kicking the hell …

the idle american

May 23rd, 2013

A champion for children

By Dr. DON NEWBURY

Folks were commonly born into poverty in the 1930s. For some, it was abject–daily bread was never guaranteed, and families were continually on the move in survival mode.

Dr. O. C. (Mike) Taylor, born to migrant farm workers, was subjected to life’s most jagged edges after his birth in 1932. …