It’s time to launch the first Southwest Festival of the Written Word!
The JW Art Gallery at 99 Cortez Ave. Hurley, NM, presents the Kick-off Event for the Southwest Festival of the Written Word on Thursday, September 26, from 6:00- 9:00pm. The celebration is open to the public at no charge. Refreshments will be served.
The evening includes a performance by Randy Carr from his original one-man play, Tuck, about Silver City’s little known historical figure, Dan “Tuck” Tucker who was Deputy from 1877 to 1888, the wildest and wooliest days of Silver City and Grant County’s frontier past.
Carr obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in acting and directing from Eastern Washington University and his Masters in human relations from Pacific Lutheran University.
After fulfilling his obligation to Uncle Sam, he moved to Alaska where he became an investigator with the Alaska Department of Labor and retired as the Chief of Labor Standards after 28 years with the state.
Over the years he exorcised his theatrical demons acting and directing in community theater in Juneau and Fairbanks. Through the years he managed to integrate his acting talents into his professional career, performing in training videos and presenting live training. He has appeared in over 30 stage and film productions.
In 2006, Carr began “snowbirding” in Silver City and quickly immersed himself in the history of the area. He became enamored with the exploits of a virtually unknown lawman of early Silver City. The result was Tuck, an original play, designed to entertain and educate audiences about the real old west through the eyes of one of its forgotten heroes. Tuck debuted with three performances at the Seedboat Gallery in Silver City, August 10, 11 and 12, 2012.
Throughout the evening of celebration, local authors Terry Humble (Copper Mining in Santa Rita, New Mexico 1801-1838), Anthony Romero (The Saloons of Santa Clara) and Christopher Saxman (The Drive to Cheyenne and Burnout) will sign copies of their books, all of which will be available for purchase at the event.
The hand sewn book, Poems2, an elegant collection of works by local poets and artists created by Joseph Wade especially for the Festival, will also be 
available for sale at the event.
Original cover designs by artist Fred Barraza for M. H. “Dutch” Salmon’s trilogy, Signal to Depart, Forty Freedoms, and Home is the River will be on display. All three books, published by High-Lonesome Books, will be available for sale at the gallery.
Joseph Wade introduces the Festival session “Poems squared: A collaboration between poets and artists” on Friday, September 27 at 3:30pm. Dutch Salmon participates in the Festival panel “Books, nooks and hooks: How the publishing industry is changing” on Friday, September 27 at 2:00pm.
During the entire weekend of the Southwest Festival of the Written Word, the Gallery will feature a special selection of the artwork of Joseph Wade, Elvira Godfrey, Christopher Saxman and Leighton Fossom. Also available will be Wade’s hand-made book, Poems2, a large selection of Golden West Publishers’ Southwestern specialty Cookbooks, and several area Historical Publications. Visit www.jwartgallery.com.
