Echoes of the Cordillera

Dawn beyond the Rio Grande by Jim Bones

Echoes of the Cordillera: Attitudes and Latitudes Along the Great Divide

January 13 – March 25, 2018

Photographs by Jim Bones of the Continental Divide from Alaska into Mexico were displayed alongside ekphrastic poetry, poems written after reflecting on an objet d’art, by 39 poets from Texas and New Mexico. Scroll down the page to see all 52 images.

The Opening of the exhibit on January 13 included readings by the poets. Click here to view a video of the event.

A full-color softcover book of the anthology Echoes of the Cordillera: Attitudes and Latitudes Along the Great Divide is available. It contains 52 photographs by Jim Bones with accompanying poetry by the following 39 poets:

Mike Alexander, Gloria Amescua, Jenny Browne, Stan Crawford, Sarah Cortez, David E. Cowen, Carolyn Dahl, Robin Davidson, Margo Davis, Kelly Ann Ellis, Carolyn Tourney Florek, Priscilla Frake, John Gorman, Lucy Griffith, Ann Howells, Cindy Huyser, Sharon Klander, Gordon Magill, Wade Martin, David Meischen, John Milkereit, Laura Peña, Elina Petrova, Lee Robinson, Nelson Sager, Varsha Saraiya-Shah, Rebecca A. Spears, Sandi Stromberg, Larry D. Thomas, Chuck Wemple, Mary Wemple, Sasha West, Marilyn Westfall, Allyson Whipple, Scott Wiggerman, Connie Lane Williams, Jerald Winakur, Judith Youngers and Vanessa Zimmer-Powell.
Click here to view biographical information about Jim Bones and all of the poets.

A low resolution copy of the book can be viewed here.

Here are reviews of the book by 3 of the participating poets:

I received Echoes of the Cordillera in today’s mail, and am overwhelmed by the beautiful merging of poetry and photography in its pages. It is a book which I shall return to time and time again, and which I shall always cherish.
—Larry D. Thomas

Biggest thanks go to you and your staff for the momentous work you all did to create such a terrific opening of Jim’s superb photos and launch of the beautiful anthology. The crowd was astounding and their appreciation so wonderful to experience first hand. Hopefully, this will be a great boon for the museum as well. Recipients will certainly treasure this book for years to come, whether they’re keen on poetry, or not.
—Sandi Stromberg

This is an extraordinary collection of photographs and an equally extraordinary collection of poems. To paraphrase Jim, this event was truly greater than the sum of its parts. A perfect marriage of two arts! Everyone should be rightfully proud!
—Scott Wiggerman

Denali, “The Great One,” Tallest Peak in North America (20,310 feet), Alaska Range by Jim Bones

This I Believe

For me, the beautiful resides in the physical, but it is spiritual. I have never heard a sermon as spiritual in either phrase or fact as, “Waters on a starry night are beautiful and free.” No hymn lifts my heart higher than the morning call of the bobwhite or the long fluting cry of sandhill cranes out of the sky at dusk.

Not all hard truths are beautiful, but beauty is truth. It incorporates love and is incorporated by love. It is the goal of all great art. Its presence everywhere makes it free to all.

— J. Frank Dobie