Credit: DCA/El Palacio Magazine © 2025

NMDCA News:

SANTA FE — From violent coal strikes to the artistry of lowriders and the hum of historic village gristmills, New Mexico’s rich and complex past takes center stage at an upcoming El Palacio magazine author event. 

At 2 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, at FUSION | 708 in Albuquerque, editor Emily Withnall will host a dynamic afternoon featuring writers from the magazine’s fall issue as they illuminate defining moments and cultural legacies across the state.

• David Correia, historian, revisits the explosive Gallup Coal Wars of 1933–1935, when striking miners and industrial powers clashed in a turbulent fight that left a lasting mark on New Mexico.
• Petra Salazar honors her hometown of Española in its centennial year with reflections on lowriding culture, the annual pilgrimage to Chimayó, and traditions of generosity.
• José Rivera, Levi Romero, and Enrique Lamadrid, UNM professors and co-authors, explore how molinitos (gristmills) shaped village life during the Spanish Colonial era, weaving food, labor, and community into enduring heritage.

The event is free and open to the public, offering audiences the chance to hear directly from authors whose work uncovers New Mexico’s layered history and culture. A Q&A session will follow the readings, and copies of El Palacio and fall contributors’ books will be available for purchase, including Daisy Atterbury and Chelsey Johnson.

About El Palacio magazine

For more than a century, El Palacio, the official magazine of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, has celebrated the people, places, and stories that define New Mexico. To read past articles visit elpalacio.org.