By Nicole Maxwell
NM Political Report
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The measure would tie public funding to policies prohibiting removal of books

A bill aimed at protecting public libraries from politically charged book ban attempts is making its way through the Roundhouse.

HB 27, the Librarian Protection Act, sponsored by Rep. Kathleen Cates, D-Rio Rancho,  seeks to prohibit public libraries from getting state funding unless they adopt a policy prohibiting the removal of books or other materials based on partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

“I bring this bill to you today because I have concern about our public librarians throughout our state, and I believe that this is a bill that will help protect them,” Cates said during a committee hearing. “As you know, librarians have spent their careers in education and being able to serve their community, and they’re all about process, not about politics, and I want to be able to let them stay in that process-oriented manner of decision.”

The bill also does not allow a public library’s funding to be reduced for complying with the bill.
“The bill clarifies that it is not intended to curtail the right of individuals to challenge library materials. ‘Ban’ means the removal of library materials. ‘Challenge’ means the attempt to remove said materials,” the bill’s Fiscal Impact Report states.

From 2024: Legislators seek to stop libraries from banning books
“The Public Education Department notes that if the bill is not passed, public libraries in New Mexico may be subject to increasing numbers of challenges to books and other library materials, based upon partisan, political, or religious views, hampering their general mission of provision of information, books, and other resources to the public,” according to the report.

The process for challenging books and other materials would remain intact, however, blanket bans based on political or other ideological reasons.

The bill passed the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee 4-to-2 with Reps. Stefani  Lord, R-Sandia Park, and John Block, R-Alamogordo, voted against the bill.

Lord said she was against the bill because it does not directly prohibit children from accessing materials shelved in the adult section due to adult content potentially not being appropriate for children.

About a year ago, Estancia Public Library Director Angela Creamer set up Freedom to Read, a policy that includes how the library would handle someone coming in and asking for materials to be removed.
“I think a lot of politicians maybe forget that librarians are men and women that are also parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles, and we care about our community just as much as anybody else,” Creamer said. “Personally, I don’t think the government should be raising our children. I think parents and caregivers, guardians and grandparents and relatives raise the children. So I think it goes back to trust.”
The Rio Rancho City Council in 2023 passed legislation protecting public libraries and librarians from repeated, but ultimately unsuccessful book banning attempts.

While historic snow fell across swamps and beaches in the Eastern United States in January, New Mexico’s snowpacks are looking high and dry at the beginning of February.

New Mexico had its hottest autumn ever, with October through December marking the warmest temperatures on average since 1895, said Tony Bergantino, the director at the Wyoming State Climate office, which collects water and temperature data for the Equality State.

Bergantino led the Intermountain West Drought and climate briefing on Tuesday hosted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and its federal drought arm. He noted that in addition to the hotter temperatures, New Mexico snowpacks are well below their median size, which threatens rivers that rely on snow water.

Temperatures range anywhere from 11 to 22 degrees above average for this time of year, from mid-60s to high 70s around the state.

Conditions are hot and dry enough that the National Weather Service office in Albuquerque issued a red flag warning for Wednesday due to the potential fire danger over about a quarter of the state, covering much of the northeastern third. It’s the second this year, with the first issued on Jan. 4.

While there will be colder temperatures moving back in for eastern NM this weekend, snow or rain forecasts look slim, said Randall Hergert, a forecaster with the NWS in Albuquerque.
“There are no good signals for a good, beneficial storm to put us on the right track in these closing months of winter,” Hergert said.

Atmospheric patterns and currents in the Pacific Ocean, which dictate weather patterns, are currently in a La Niña cycle, meaning that New Mexico is forecast to have hotter and drier weather for at least the next three months.
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Warming from human caused-climate change exacerbates those natural trends, which is worsening drought, intensifying storms and wildfires in New Mexico.

The departure of Agapita “Pita” Judy Lopez, Georgia O’Keeffe’s former companion and mainstay of the Georgia O’Keeffe Foundation and Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, left big shoes to fill at O’Keeffe’s Home & Studio in Abiquiú.

With two decades of experience in art and curatorial work and seven years at the O’Keeffe, Giustina Renzoni was recently appointed Director of Historic Properties and is ready to take the next steps in projects and operations in Abiquiú at the Welcome Center, Home & Studio, and O’Keeffe’s Home at Ghost Ranch. Let’s get to know Giustina Renzoni.

Georgia O’Keeffe Museum: First congratulations on your new role. But before we talk more about you, we’d be remiss if we didn’t first talk about Pita. You worked with her probably closer than anyone else in recent years, what was that like?

Giustina Renzoni: In the realm of historic houses and properties, it’s exceedingly rare to work with someone like Pita and her brothers, Maggie, Mino, and Steve. Not only is she extremely generous in sharing her knowledge and memories, but her leadership ensured that the direction we are moving in has always stayed true to O’Keeffe’s intentions. She and the Lopez family really embraced me and I’m so thankful for her friendship. I will never be Pita but with her mentorship, inspiration, and all that she taught me, I’m confident and excited for what’s to come.

GOKM: Can you tell us a little bit about your career and how it led you to New Mexico?

GR: I’ve been working in museums since I was 19, when I started as a gallery attendant. After spending time as a research curatorial assistant, working for an auction house, managing galleries, and even on a preparator team, I explored many aspects of working in the arts and knew I wanted a career in museums. Eventually, I found my way from my hometown of Boston to Denver, where I worked for the Denver Art Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver. I was living in Colorado and traveling to New Mexico for years, camping and exploring. During those trips, as clichéd as it sounds, I really fell in love with the landscape and the history of Northern New Mexico.

GOKM: What drew you to working for the Museum?

GR: I grew up in New England, the daughter of an architect, and just down the street from a historic home once owned by a Revolutionary War general. Needless to say, I visited a lot of historic houses throughout my childhood. But aside from visiting them, I didn’t know much about maintaining them. When the opportunity to work for the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum came up, I was thrilled. First, there aren’t many museums dedicated to a woman, and the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum is exceptional for its collections and archives—artwork, correspondence, photographs, oral histories, books, textiles—it’s incredible.

The Historic Properties perfectly combine my interests in Spanish colonial visual culture, New Mexican history, and modern design, so that was a huge draw. The house itself is so dynamic—it held two centuries of history even before O’Keeffe stepped onto the property. When she purchased and renovated it, she didn’t try to hide those layers. Instead, she embraced them, putting her own spin on the space. It gives such valuable insight into O’Keeffe as a person, not just an artist.

GOKM: You’ve overseen exhibitions and overseeing tours in Abiquiú for seven years now. What short- and long-term goals for the Home & Studio do you have in your new position?
There is a lot more in the house and its history that we haven’t been able to tap into yet. This year, we are offering a new tour for families and children that sees the Home & Studio through the eyes of an explorer. It will have Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) principles that connect with school curriculums. I’m hopeful this tour can help us grow our field trip program and connect with local youth.

In the long term, I want to continue to find ways to offer new experiences and increase access to the homes in Abiquiú and at Ghost Ranch, while prioritizing the stewardship and preservation of those sites. What that looks like right now I’m not sure, but we have a really great team that continually finds ways to keep the space alive and dynamic.

GOKM: You curate the objects seen on the Home & Studio tours, including O’Keeffe’s clothes. What’s your favorite piece of clothing in the Collection?

GR: An Emilio Pucci dress from Lord & Taylor. While it’s in the black and white palette O’Keeffe preferred, this is not the sort of dress she is typically envisioned wearing. It’s predominately white instead of black, with subtle details like an asymmetric collar, contrasting cuffs, and the color blocking. There is a combination of details and simplicity that is understated and powerful at the same time.

GOKM: Do you have a favorite piece of furniture in the Collection?

GR: Curating Artful Living: O’Keeffe and Modern Design, a recent exhibition of O’Keeffe’s personal effects at the Welcome Center, gave me a deeper knowledge of the decorative arts collection and why O’Keeffe collected so much furniture. My favorite piece is a beautiful upright leather chair by Mogens Kold, a Danish company. The frame is made of rosewood, which is now considered endangered due to over-harvesting, so you rarely see it in furniture now. It’s an exceptionally minimalist piece, but the slight curves give the traditional silhouette an organic shape. You can really see the detail of the wood grain, which gives a beautiful contrast to the rich, black leather. It’s a striking example of mid-century Scandinavian design and craftsmanship.

--Artful Living: O’Keeffe and Modern Design is on view through 2025 at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum Welcome Center in Abiquiú.
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Interested in visiting Georgia O’Keeffe’s historic Home & Studio? Tickets are now available for Standard and Extended Tours beginning in March and for brand new offerings kicking off in June! Visit gokm.org for ticket information.

Last Monday, January 27th, we experienced a sharp decline in tech stocks, particularly Nvidia, which suffered the largest single-day market cap loss in the history of the stock market. This dragged down other stocks too – the NASDAQ was down over 3% in 1 day! This sort of market decline challenges us as investors to reflect on our emotional reaction to the drop.  A reaction of fear or panic probably indicates that you have an overexposed and too risky portfolio.
 
I’ve been talking about reducing risk in our portfolios for months. Bull markets tend to breed overconfidence, which, if that happens, can lead to poor investment decisions. Proper portfolio construction is essential for long-term stability and peace of mind, especially in volatile markets, which is where we are now. Peace of mind on your investments is very important because without it even worse investment decisions can follow.
 
If you feel your exposure to equities (stocks) is too high, it might be time to consider working in some protected investments to your portfolio. This could lock in gains you’ve experienced and protect you from downturns that I think are inevitable going forward.
 
Equity Markets have gone up over time. That’s a fact. But they also can be quite volatile at times, leading to big losses. Those losses have proven to be temporary, and that’s great in the long run. But it can take years to get back even, and not all of us have years to recoup losses. That’s why having guaranteed investments as part of your portfolio make sense at all times but especially now. 
 
If you’d like to get another opinion on your investments, feel free to contact me. There is no obligation or cost to simply get an opinion. I’d be happy to do it for you.
 
Peter J Nagle
[email protected]
505-423-5378

Let’s just get this out of the way: I dance Argentine tango.
By Zach Hively

Despite what some family members have asked out loud, Argentine tango is not a weird sex thing. It is intensely intimate at times, yes, and sometimes it is over way too soon. I also know what a lot of married women’s shampoo smells like.
But, in my years of experience, every one of my fellow dancers has been—and has remained, for the duration of the dance—fully clothed.

Sometimes, that is the best thing I can say for my fellow dancers’ wardrobe choices: that they are, in fact, wearing things. Also! I can confidently say, just by looking at them and with no other context, that these dancers have dressed themselves.

Which dancers? Well, one of the things I love about tango today is the way the community is prying apart binary gender roles. Followers are not always women, and leaders are not always not-women. Space for queer tango is growing, as is space for trans people in tango, and space for cis-gendered people to role-switch.

This culture of growing acceptance makes me balk at criticizing any particular demographic for its underwhelming tango fashion but it’s men.

It’s always men.

Everyone Else in tango recognizes that how they present themselves reflects their care and dedication to the dance, and that doing so with even marginal intent improves their chances of getting to dance. At the very least, Everyone Else reduces the likelihood of embarrassing themselves with the equivalent of showing up to senior prom in a baggy paper sack.

Men, I am increasingly convinced, cannot be embarrassed, even though they should be.

#notallmen, of course. Like, not me. I can be embarrassed. That’s why I have such a snobbish attitude about dressing well for this most complex, subtle, rebellious yet also gentrified dance. My snobbishness stems from my discovery that I can pay someone, for less than the cost of a new shirt at Ross, to clean and press my existing ones.

Are crisp shirts the main reason I get dances? No—they are the only reason. Pressed shirts add a certain, how do you say, sense that you don’t always live out of a laundry basket. Everyone Else finds this a desirable quality, or at least a baseline requirement.
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(Also, I respect when a woman declines to dance with me and I do not speak poorly of her. Not even on the internet. But this reason is probably secondary to my shirts.)

Thus, I swear that men, used to getting a very great deal of what they want with very little resistance, could actually get more dances and jobs and loan forgiveness and such in all areas of life if only they would put any effort at all into their wardrobe.

So, here is my expert guide for How to Dress Yourself More Better for Tango, My Man—and Also for Life, divvied into four tiers according to your level of entry:

Basic Tier
•            Wear clothes that fit.
•            Not clothes that used to fit.
•            And not clothes you want to fit.
•            And definitely not clothes that fit in the sense that a sandwich fits inside a Toyota Camry.
•            Clothes that fit function well with the shape of your body as it is.
•            Bonus points if you figure out the right orientation for stripes to make you look better than you actually do, without the strain of sucking in your gut.
•            Could you wear those clothes golfing? Then don’t wear them to dance.
•            Don’t wear them anywhere at all, really.
•            Not even for golfing.
•            Does the shirt tuck in? Then tuck it in.
•            Unless it’s a shirt not meant to be tucked.
•            Or a style that doesn’t demand it.
•            But when in doubt, tuck it.
•            And then wear a belt.
•            A real belt, with a buckle.
•            Also with loops.
•            Then, adjust the belt to fit. A droopy belt makes us imagine what else droops.
•            We all love that you did that 5k fun run or saw the Steve Miller Band in concert.
•            But don’t wear the tee.
•            Unless you’re attending a function with the word “picnic” in the name and the event will be held in daylight from start to end, best to avoid screen-prints altogether.

Cheat Code: You don’t need a big budget to own yourself. Find your style at the thrift store. You never have to worry about your clothes going out of style if you’re the one bringing them back into style.

Manning-Up Tier
•            You might think your stonewashed jeans are stylish.
•            They are not.
•            Unless bolo ties are standard issue where you’re going, ditch the denim.
•            But not for shorts. Dear Tim Gunn, not for shorts.
•            Slacks are not that hard, my man. And they’re comfy.
•            Especially if you buy them four inches too large in the waist and have someone take in the waist to the appropriate size.
•            Then your legs have room to actually move.
•            Yeah yeah, skinny pants are sometimes in. Don’t care. If you can manage skinny pants in public, you don’t need this expert guide.
•            Shirt come untucked? Tuck it back in.

Gentleman’s Tier
•            Find your colors.
•            And yes, black and white are colors.
•            Consider your ability to move.
•            Will you be plucking clothes out of your various crevasses whenever you stand up?
•            Can people picture you naked without using their imagination?
•            Do you want them to?
•            (No. You don’t.)
•            Long sleeves rolled up look classier than short sleeves.
•            I am the author of this guide, and my opinion is gospel.
•            But you do you, babe.
•          That said: If you wear short sleeves and look like somebody’s—anybody’s—dad on vacation or a stock photo for casual Friday, please return to the Basic Tier.

Ooh La La Tier
•            Grooming is not just for horses.
•            A little care for your hair, everywhere it can be seen, will stand you a lot apart from your fellow man.
•            Yes, even that one lone hair.
•            Especially that one.
•            Accessorize.
•            Damn right, accessorize. Rings or cuffs or watches or cute socks.
•            Anything, really, to infuse some personality for all those people who can’t see, or don’t care to see, the work you put into your car or other male personality extender.
•            I wear ascots, for instance.
•            So choose something else.

Basically, my man, my men:

We all need to show up better in the world, in tango and out. Sure, we need to show up as trustworthy friends, and protectors, and partners, and leaders, and firemen and astronauts and civil servants and stuff too. But dressing the part is both essential, and easier. It’s literally the least we can do—putting ourselves together to give the impression that we care.
If enough of us do this, the next great differentiator can be actually caring. But my hopes for us aren’t that high. We can’t even keep our shirts tucked in.
 

By Karima Alavi
 
Visitors to Dar al Islam, the site of a mosque and madressah (retreat and educational facility) often ask “why?” Why this place? Next, comes the question of “How?” How was this structure, reflecting the architectural traditions of North Africa, built? What’s the story behind this place that sits upon a mesa overlooking the Chama River and the Pueblo of Abiquiu on one side, and White City, or Plaza Blanca, on the other side?
 
The answers to those questions are complex and intriguing. The stories behind the non-profit foundation are many—some true, some languishing in the realm of rumors. Equally interesting are the stories of the people behind this massive project that began in 1979, its seeds being planted by a seemingly chance encounter between two men standing next to each other one hot, sunny day at the Ka’ba, a stone building at the center of Islam’s most important holy site, the mosque in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
 
It is in the direction of this place that Muslims around the world send their prayers. Due to the cycle of five prayers per day, all set by the movement of the sun across the planet, there is never a moment when millions of prayers are not being directed toward the sacred mosque in Makkah. Imagine the five unending prayer-rings that constantly circle the world as some people offer their morning prayers, others do afternoon or evening prayers, all depending upon the sun’s position at that moment in that part of the world.  
 
It was there, at the Ka’ba, that the two men, Nooruddeen Durkee of America and Sahil Kabbani of Saudi Arabia, began their casual conversation. One thing would lead to another and pieces of a puzzle from across many lands would fall into place as though this was not a chance encounter at all, but more a part of a divine plan, an opening to those in search of a spiritual path that called them to leave behind the religious practices they grew up with, and find something that spoke to their hearts in a new way.
 
In our forthcoming Abiquiu News articles, Dar al Islam will recount the history of how the site was selected and how it was built with the help of American Muslim craftsmen working alongside master masons from Egypt. You can add to that list, workers from the pueblos of Taos and Abiquiu as well as surrounding communities, all supported by the efforts of women who worked behind the scenes to enable this massive undertaking to continue. We’ll also discuss the early links to Lama Foundation and the author, Ram Das, before moving on to subjects like the elementary school that once caused the halls of Dar al Islam to echo with the laughter of children, a sound that returns today during Islamic holiday celebrations and other programs, including retreats. Watch for articles about the many-faceted events hosted by Dar al Islam for both Muslims and non-Muslims alike, such as the Teachers’ Institute, or outreach to educational organizations including the National Council for the Social Studies, the World History Association, and the Library of Congress.
 
Did you know that the Abiquiu Inn, when owned by Dar al Islam, had a laundromat on site? Are you aware of the many movies shot against the background of the local beauty and grandeur of Dar al Islam’s land? Let’s explore the people who helped create this world-famous facility as we wander through Dar al Islam’s past, their present, and their Master Plans for the future.
 
If you, or someone you know, helped with the construction, please feel free to make a comment below. We would love to hear from you.