Author John Taylor Discusses His Book, 'Catholics along the Rio Grande'

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Author John Taylor will discuss his latest book, "Catholics along the Rio Grande" on Sept. 21, at 1:30 pm, at the UNMVC Student Community Center.

LOS LUNAS, NM (09/13/2011)(readMedia)-- Author John Taylor will present a lecture on his book "Catholics along the Rio Grande" on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 1:30 p.m., at the UNM-Valencia Student Community Center. The lecture is the first presentation in the Fall 2011 UNM-Valencia Cultural Enrichment Series.

An award-winning author and historian from Valencia County, Taylor documents the history of the Catholic parishes in the Rio Abajo from the Spanish conquest of the 16th century to the present. This lecture features seldom-seen images from the book, which Taylor spent years gleaning from sources that include New Mexico archives and several individual collections.

Taylor recently retired as the manager of the Integrated Technologies and Systems Strategic Management Group Support Department at Sandia National Laboratories. He has a master's degree in nuclear engineering from Stanford University and was a member of Sandia's Technical and Management Staff from 1975-2010.

During that tenure, he published over 50 technical reports and papers. Prior to coming to Sandia he was assigned as reactor controls officer on the USS Nautilus (SSN571). He served as the science advisor to the START Delegation in Geneva and as the DOE liaison to the State Department for the implementation of the post-Desert Storm cease-fire resolutions.

Taylor is the author or co-author of four books on nineteenth century New Mexico history: two on Catholicism in central New Mexico ("Dejad a Los Niños," published by LPD Press, and "Catholics Along the Rio Grande," published by Arcadia Press), and two on the Civil War in New Mexico ("Bloody Valverde" and "The Battle of Glorieta Pass," both published by UNM Press).

In addition, he has published numerous articles in various books and journals on Civil War and Catholic history topics. He is married to Lynn and has four daughters and two granddaughters.

After Taylor's presentation on the campus, he will be available for signing his book. The book will also be available for purchase.

Refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to the public. The Student Community Center is located on the south side of the campus. The south parking lot is conveniently located near the center.

Other programs in the fall cultural series include:

• Sharing the Words, Oct. 26, 1:30 p.m., Student-Community Center. Enjoy chills and thrills, where you will hear eerie, weird and strange literary works. Join us for a spooktacular afternoon of fun. The event is free to the public.

• Sparky & Rhonda Rucker Show, Nov. 3, 7 p.m., Student Community Center. Sparky and Rhonda Rucker perform throughout the U.S. as well as overseas, singing songs and telling stories from the American folk tradition. Tickets are $10 and are now on sale for this event. Proceeds from the concert will benefit the student scholarship fund for UNM-Valencia students.

• The Second Annual Winter Concert, Dec. 15, 7 p.m., Student-Community Center. A Winter Concert that features the New MexiChords Men's Chorus and the UNM-Valencia Chorus. They will sing an ensemble of both sacred and secular holiday music. Tickets are $10 with proceeds to benefit the student scholarship fund for UNM-Valencia students.

For more information about the Fall 2011 Cultural Enrichment Series, call UNM-Valencia Community Education Services at 925-8970.