ULTIMA IS HERE!

Welcome to official website of THE BIG READ in Taos, New Mexico.  The Big Read is a project of the National Endowment for the Arts, and is sponsored here in Taos by SOMOS, Taos’ premier literary organization, in collaboration with the Taos Public Library.

Just what is a Big Read?  And who the heck is Ultima?  Take some time and wander through our pages to find out details, but here’s the scoop in a nutshell.

The Big Read is a month-long party, and everybody’s invited.  The idea is that all of us who live here in Taos County will read the same book at the same time and be inspired to talk about the issues it raises.  The book is BLESS ME, ULTIMA, by New Mexico author Rudolfo Anaya.  We’ll be giving the books away FREE at our kickoff event at the Library on Saturday, November 7, and we’ll have dozens of other events and activities throughout the month to encourage people to come out and share their thoughts and stories.

Who’s Ultima?  She’s a curandera, an old woman with an owl familiar and an insight into the healing powers of the ancient ways, and she comes to live with the family of Antonio, a young boy growing up during the time of World War II.  Antonio is slated to become a cowboy like his father … unless he becomes a priest to the farmers of his mother’s community – and, either way, he’s bound to disappoint somebody.  He’s a boy in a quandary, and when Ultima comes to live with his family he learns that there are many different ways to look at a situation.

Check out the EVENTS tab to find out which of the dozens of activities you’d like to attend.  There are book discussion groups, workshops for kids and adults, lectures, readings, a story swap, a mural-painting day – the list keeps growing as we add more things.  Maybe you’ll come up with a creative response to the book you’d like to share with others.  Contact us, and we’ll try to support you in bringing your ideas to light.

The ABOUT tab will tell you more about the national program, about SOMOS, about the Taos Public Library, and about how The Big Read came to Taos.  READERS RESPOND lets Taos County readers post their thoughts about the book – what did you like, what didn’t you like?  Is this novel reflective of the New Mexico you know?  How have things changed since those days?  The SPONSORS tab thanks the many individuals and organizations who have donated time and money to help keep things free for everybody.

Check back frequently, as we’ll be updating EVENTS frequently and want to keep you informed about when and where things are happening.  Feel free to CONTACT US with your comments, your enthusiasm, and your suggestions for improvement.  We want to hear from you!