“Northern New Mexico has its own, unique charm that Don J. Usner captures in his Chasing Dichos through Chimayó.”—Albuquerque Journal
“[In] Chasing Dichos Through Chimayó, Usner sought to capture the intensely regional Northern New Mexico Spanish as expressed through the sayings and maxims that still dominate the speech of the Chimayosos, an affectionate name for the town’s residents. With an observant ear for everyday speech, Usner re-creates the conversations of the town’s viejitos, or elders, peppered with the dichos that proliferate in the residents’ singular dialect of Spanish.”—Pasatiempo
“Dichos—Spanish idioms—fill the pages of this book as they fill our hearts because, no matter the location or the linguistics, the language of humanity is universal.”—Southwest Books of the Year
“Usner reminds us that stories define place. His book includes stunning photographs and stories behind the images. Chasing Dichos through Chimayó preserves stories of the Plaza del Cerro for outsiders and Chimayó’s insiders to enjoy for centuries to come. Through it all, Chimayó emerges as a place of survival where dichos and the people whose lives they illustrate continue to thrive.”—New Mexico Historical Review
“Usner’s detailed and well-crafted essays . . . attest to the richness of language and culture.”—Western Folklore
“A beautifully constructed memoir. . . . Through this inviting and culturally significant book, Usner opens the door and waves his reader through into an experience of the riches of Mexican American cultural history.”—SMRC Revista
“What is missing in collections of proverbs from medieval times to the present is context. How and when do people actually use them in conversation? And who are the dichosos, those talented performers of dichos who share and teach them? With the help of his mother, Estella Chávez Usner, Don Usner commemorates them with camera and pen. These deeply drawn family and community memoirs show that genealogy in New Mexico is more a performance than a dusty archive; it is a living exercise in verbal art. Usner’s book includes sayings that are centuries old as well as those that are recently composed and locally adapted. Accessible and poetic, this repository of dichos and refranes as used in New Mexico brims with authenticity.”—Enrique R. Lamadrid, author of Hermanos Comanchitos: Indo-Hispano Rituals of Captivity and Devotion
“This book is a marvelous recovery project. In flowing and sometimes wistful prose, Usner records the customs, history, and oral expressions of the people of Chimayó. The author’s journey back to his village roots, his patient attention to detail, and his gift for storytelling provide compelling reading. In this collection of dichos framed by autobiographical vignettes, we hear the voices of Usner’s family and ancestors. We feel their presence. They continue to reside in the spaces and stories of the community. Chasing Dichos through Chimayó is a testament to the wisdom of generations. But it is equally a reminder of a vibrant and enduring linguistic heritage.”—John M. Nieto-Phillips, author of The Language of Blood: The Making of Spanish-American Identity in New Mexico, 1880s–1930s
