In 1917, Mabel Sterne, an avant-garde advocate from New York, embarked on a transformative journey to the Southwest, seeking a new existence. “Edge of Taos Desert: An Escape to Reality,” an autobiographical gem now back in print, vividly recounts her initial months in New Mexico. This narrative not only chronicles an Easterner’s discovery of the American West but also narrates a profound personal and philosophical evolution. Enamored by New Mexico’s geography and the Pueblo Indian culture, Mabel found a new home in Taos, where she spent the rest of her life as Mabel Dodge Lujan. Her compelling account, particularly her fascination with Antonio Luhan, reflects the timeless allure of primitive New Mexico to a weary New Yorker.
“I finished it in a state of amazed revelation . . . it is so beautifully compact and consistent. . . . It is going to help many another woman and man to ‘take life with the talons’ and carry it high.”—Ansel Adams
