3 Questions

with Nasario Garcia

Ask Nasario Garcia a question and chances are he'll go on and on. A natural born storyteller, folklorist and author, Garcia presents a lecture titled Hoe, Heaven, and Hell: My Boyhood in Rural New Mexico Sunday afternoon at Collected Works.

What are the qualifications of a good storyteller?
A good storyteller must be intimately familiar with his subject matter/themes either by dint of personal experiences—this is preferable—or because of empirical research. He or she must also be able to readily establish a good rapport with the audience in order to be successful, especially if your listeners are kids; they can be a tough audience.

Are you surprised by how much things have changed in New Mexico during your lifetime?
No, I'm not surprised. Evolution, regardless of the genre at hand, cannot remain static. In looking at my childhood, I can honestly say that I have gone from the 'horse and buggy' days to high-tech technological gadgetry that is unimaginable. To state it differently, if you told school children today that I started school in a one-room school house with grades 1-8 in the same room with the same teacher, they would find it difficult to comprehend let alone appreciate the pedagogical challenges for both students and teacher.

You talk about urban myths like La Llorona as well. What's the importance of preserving stories like these for future generations?
The preservation of one's culture (eg, northern New Mexico Hispanic culture) is fundamental in keeping alive our ancestors' cultural and linguistic legacy. In doing so, we will hopefully have succeeded in educating our children and great-grandchildren as to our customs and traditions that are so vital in knowing who we are and where are roots lie.

Letters to the Editor

Mail letters to PO Box 4910 Santa Fe, NM 87502 or email them to editor[at]sfreporter.com. Letters (no more than 200 words) should refer to specific articles in the Reporter. Letters will be edited for space and clarity.

We also welcome you to follow SFR on social media (on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) and comment there. You can also email specific staff members from our contact page.