Raymond Starr, Book Review Editor
The Folklore of Spain in the American Southwest: Traditional Spanish Folk Literature in Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado.
By Aurelio M. Espinosa. Edited by J. Manuel Espinosa. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1985. Map. Illustrations. Bibliographies. Index. 310 Pages. $24.95.
The Folklore of Spain in the American Southwest is really two books in one. The first book is a biographical sketch of Aurelio M. Espinosa by his son. It covers the career of one of the region’s major folklorists, including descriptions of his field techniques and methods. The second book is a 1930s manuscript by Aurelio in which he discusses traditional folklore topics — Spanish roots, ballads, hymns, local ballads, proverbs, folktales, religious and secular folk drama — for the New Mexico and Colorado regions. The book is a significant contribution to the folklore of the Southwest; much of the material on Spanish roots may well be applicable to other parts of the Borderlands, including the San Diego region.