Alison Trujillo

Diving into Books at the Santa Fe International Literary Festival

This past weekend, I attended the Santa Fe International Literary Festival. Perfect spring weather inspired my husband and I to ride our bikes over; held in downtown Santa Fe near the plaza, this event was packed with author speakers, book signings and booksellers from all over. The festival felt like a good intro to summerContinue reading “Diving into Books at the Santa Fe International Literary Festival”

Día de la Tierra 2023

Earth Day is around the corner. I’m grateful in these moments for the work of all who are doing their part and who encourage us to do the same: Schools with gardening programs. Land trusts. Farmers and ranchers trying new sustainability practices. Advocates for responsible recreation. Companies inventing nature-friendly products and services. Here are a few stories that caught myContinue reading “Día de la Tierra 2023”

Las Carpetas

I recently heard about the artwork of Christopher Gregory-Rivera on an episode of the Las Raras podcast. Christopher Gregory-Rivera’s recent work, called “Las Carpetas” (“The Files”), examines the history of government surveillance on the island of Puerto Rico. The “carpetas” he refers to are files with information about Puerto Rican citizens — targets of FBIContinue reading “Las Carpetas”

Winter Words

Both Spanish and English have beautiful words to describe winter! These unique words go beyond some of the more commonly known terms to conjure up the feeling of the season. Spanish winter words: carámbano – icicle rompope – eggnog duende – elf, fairy, goblin copo de nieve – snowflake hoguera – bonfire granizo – hailContinue reading “Winter Words”

The Arabic Roots of Spanish

When Arabic-speaking Muslims from North Africa invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 711, they introduced unique architecture, philosophy, and social norms to the territory. The Arabic language deeply influenced the local vernacular Latin dialect, which eventually became Spanish. In the 15th century, this territory was now the Spanish kingdom and was presided over by King FerdinandContinue reading “The Arabic Roots of Spanish”

The Holidays Are Here

The 2022 holiday season has arrived! At first, it seemed to come “on little cat feet” like in Carl Sandburg’s poem “Fog.” Now it’s in full swing: carols playing in every shop and winter-themed coffees, sweet treats, and cocktails. Here’s a cheery scene from the café table I’m writing at this morning: Client projects areContinue reading “The Holidays Are Here”