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New Publications in the Basque Book Series Basque Sheepherders of the American West: A Photographic Documentary Photographs by Richard H. Lane Text by William A. Douglass Beginning in 1967, anthropologist Richard Lane traveled throughout the American West to record the vanishing way of life of the nomadic Basque sheepherder. He went from lonely sheep camps in the mountains to Basque boarding houses to the colorful summer festivals, photographically recording the herders and their surroundings. Each aspect of the sheepherder’s work is surveyed – lambing, trailing, shearing, docking, shipping, and summer and winter herding. Recent declines in the U.S. sheep industry and a poor forecast for its future, suggest that the era of the Basque sheepherder may be all but over. Thus, there is a sense of historical urgency and value to this present photo-documentary. It is unlikely that we will ever again see the rich diversity that existed when Dr. Lane carried his camera into the sheep camps. William A. Douglass of the Basque Studies Program at the University of Nevada-Reno discusses the lifestyle and loneliness of the herder; his interdependence with the sheepdog, and the long treks required to find the best forage for the huge bands of sheep as they traveled from winter to summer range and back again. The text and photo captions appear in English, Basque, Spanish and French. A Cup of Tea in Pamplona by Robert Laxalt Drawings by George Carlson This novella by award-winning Nevada author Robert Laxalt is set in the rural area of the Basque Country between France and Spain. Gregorio, the Basque smuggler, has grown old and is searching for someone of daring and cool judgment to take over his business. He believes that Nikolas is just that person – a poor peasant of herculean strength. However, Nikolas is afraid of losing his much-valued respectability by being known openly as a smuggler. Gregorio argues that respectability is a foolish standard by which the poor can measure themselves equal to the rich, who are seldom respectable. A night passage across the Pyrenees provides the resolution in a dramatic and violent confrontation. A Cup of Tea in Pamplona is an action-filled story that reveals much about the little-known but hallowed practice of horse smuggling in the Pyrenees, a profitable but dangerous venture. But more than that, it poses a question of morality that has confronted man in all places and times. The work is illustrated by the famed western artist George Carlson. |
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