The following is a letter being handed out around the town to all souls who will take one. I intend in the months ahead to record as many reflections, listen to as many stories and discover as many place histories as possible. Personal narratives of place are open windows to how people think about, remember, and navigate through the places they inhabit. Referrals are wanted and most welcome.
Welcome to Truth or Consequences:
Place and Place Making in Modern
New Mexico
A dissertation project by Tita Berger
Department of American Studies &
UNM School of Architecture Historic Preservation
& Regionalism Program
University of New Mexico
Hello!
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and my
dissertation topic before I ask to talk to you about Truth or
Consequences. My name is Tita Berger. My various academic commitments
are listed in the title above, and all of my contact information is
listed below. My dissertation
explores ideas about 'place,' largely through a place study of Truth
or Consequences, New Mexico. Ideas about place can include theory,
history, settlement, attachment, cultural expressions, exploration,
land surveys, architecture, newspaper stories, literature, political
rhetoric, government policy, geography, economic development, road
building, booterism, land use, and a lot of other things. I focus
specifically on place narratives, what people say
about places, and place making, what people do
to make places. 'Modern' New Mexico refers to two periods, both
theoretically and historically. The first period covers colonization,
which established the earliest 'modern' place narratives and place
making practices in the region. This began with Spanish entradas
in 1598 and was briefly taken up by Mexico until American
colonization, which became official in 1848. It also refers to ideas
of what 'modern' meant at the turn of the 19th century, including new
and old ideas about places and place making.
The
city of Truth or Consequences is a central component of my
dissertation. National and regional place narratives and place making
practices, historically and right now, are more interesting when
explored through an actual place. Truth or Consequences is a
fantastic place study, or case study, which is the more common term.
I am looking closely at a single place in order to think about the
bigger picture. From reclamation, WPA and CCC projects, to popular
culture and space travel, from historic preservation and Walmart, to
revitalization and economic frustration, T or C is an excellent place
to study. I went to school here in the 5th and 8th grades, coming in
from Monticello, so I have know the town for 30 years. I care about
the town and its development generally, and want to contribute
something to its historical record, to the ways that we think about
what makes place, and by extension, what we do as a community that
create or curtail sustainable place making economically, culturally,
environmentally, socially and otherwise.
This
is a preview of my 200 or so eventual dissertation pages. My forth
chapter, which I am working on now, is a 'place ethnography.' I will
be in T or C doing fieldwork until August 2013. I have started a blog
that explains these methods. A 'place ethnography' is field-based
research that includes interviews, observation, documentation,
mapping, etc. I share some of these experiences on my blog (see
below). I am writing to
request an interview or visit.
Tuesdays and Wednesday are best, because I have childcare, but I am
flexible. I want to talk about the town and your experiences, on or
off the record. I will be in touch again, and I expect you might see
me around town. Please contact me anytime. Thanks!
Tita
Berger
PO
Box 1025
Truth
or Consequences, New Mexico 87901
tberger@unm.edu
505.917.9111
http://titaberger.blogspot.com
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