From photographs of irrigation ditch gates, crosses standing in the desert landscape and chile ristras hanging from the eaves of a porch to poems about living in an old agrarian village, Paula Hendricks has captured the mood and the essence of New Mexico and the transition one writer makes from New York City to the high desert.
New Mexico has been a destination for artists for a very long time and whether it is the quality of the light, the sere quiet, the mix of cultures, the sense of otherness and being on the edge is completely subjective. Place is important to Paula and with her discerning eye she shares the mystery she sees in the everyday.
Paula's work burrows deep into the heart. Her appreciation of light and shadow, old ways and new, ancient irrigation systems and internet cafes, and the stark beauty of New Mexico will not be forgotten.
The poems, essays, short stories, fast fiction, and photographs in this collection are from her years in Santa Fe and Corrales, New Mexico, where she lived for more than 10 years. In 1999 she returned to northern California where she grew up and now lives in San Francisco.
"The longing seen and felt in the light and shadow of New Mexico, the fragile gasps of hope and the flight of mood from colorful skies within, make September in Corrales a must read. Simple, profound, refreshing… a book that avoids the fakery of the grandstanding emotions polluting literature today."
— Alan Black, author of Kick the Balls and editor of Public House, The Anthology
"The writing is fresh, immediate, bold, lyrical – naked, which by its nakedness pulls the reader in close. The nakedness also creates a real voice in the writing, which becomes a strong presence. I found it interesting and engaging to be swept up in this voice, which is an entity all unto itself."
— Joanne Hoover, author of Not in Utter Nakedness and Einstein in New Mexico
"I loved this book. I have been to Corrales and the mind and moods of Paula Hendricks' writing is like a trip there. With someone who calls your attention to what you really should notice."
— David Leddick, author of Love in the Loire and How to be Gay in the 21st Century
