Events

« Thursday January 19, 2012 »
Thu
Start: 6:00 pm
Collected Works presents two New Mexico authors for a reading of their first books.  Greg Sagemiller's thriller Walking Earth draws on his archaeological experience to craft a tale of espionage, murder, and double-cross on the tranquil Cedar Mesa.  When vestiges of a lost civiliation, sealed for eighteen milennia, are discovered in a secret chamber behind an Anasazi cliff dwelling, parallels are drawn to the enigmatic statues perched on Easter Island.  Will a world-renowned museum curator and the nation's top code breaker decipher it in time?   Greg Sagemiller has had careers in federal intelligence and with an international Fortune 100 company.  Upon moving to Northern New Mexico, he employed his two lifelong passions - anthropology and alpine skiing.  While working seasonally at a Northern New Mexico ski resort, he found ample time to broaden his education in Southwest archaeology.  He has served as a Trustee and as President of the Archaeological Society of New Mexico, and as President and Program Chair of the Taos Archaeological Society.   Mark Raney's Secrets of the Pueblo Universe explores stellar connections to Pueblo ceremonial life.  Raney matches ancient rock, pottery, and kiva art to constellations and shows cross-tribal patterns between ceremonials and stellar position.  His study was enhanced when he found that the main ceremonial gods of the Tewa were in a certain section of the Milky Way.  The location suggested that they were not random entities scattered throughout the universe, and increased the significance of his findings.  The book features over 40 illustrations by W.H. Brandenburg, a well-known New Mexico artist, and 24 star charts with native image overlays produced by Arizona astronomer Ric Alling.   Ancient stars and cultures have been a life-long interest of Mark Raney's, one enchanced by years of traveling the world.  He has lived for many years in New Mexico - with its rock art and high night sky.  His 35 years lived along the Upper Rio Grande have had particular impact, allowing him many perspectives not available to others.  Among these are a close proximity to Pueblo tribes, talks with tribal elders, and ready access to some of the greatest archaeological sites in America.  He owns a residential appraisial company in the Albuquerque area.