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For over a century, El Palacio has been a forum for voices exploring New Mexico’s art, archaeology, history, and landscape. Explore the writers, photographers, historians, and scientists whose perspectives have defined the magazine’s pages—past and present.
Arthur Sze is the current U.S. Poet Laureate. Sze is a poet, translator, and editor. He is the author of twelve books, including Into the Hush, Sight Lines, and others. Sze’s poems have been translated into fifteen languages, and he is the recipient of the National Book Award among many other honors. He lives in Santa Fe.
Deborah Jackson Taffa is a citizen of the Quechan Nation and Laguna Pueblo. Her memoir Whiskey Tender was a 2024 National Book Award Finalist and was longlisted for the 2025 Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction. Taffa serves as the director of the MFA in creative writing program at the Institute of American Indian Arts.
Cara Romero is an award-winning contemporary fine art photographer. An enrolled citizen of the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, Romero’s expansive oeuvre has been informed by formal training in film, digital, fine art, and commercial photography. She maintains a studio in Santa Fe, regularly participates in Native American art fairs, and was featured in PBS’ Craft in America (2019).
Eve West Bessier (opens in a new tab) is a poet laureate of Silver City, New Mexico. She is a retired social scientist and voice coach. Eve is a jazz vocalist, visual artist, and nature enthusiast.
![A man with a beard and sunglasses leans against a wall on a sidewalk in an urban area, with cars and trees in the background. The image is in black and white. [gen-ai]](https://elpalacio.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Levi-Romero-PR-Photo-softer-400x225.jpg)
By Eve West Bessier The first thing you notice when you meet Levi Romero is his tremendous generosity of spirit. He is nuevomexicano, born and raised in the state; and he personifies the open-hearted nature of New Mexican culture. This is a place where strangers wave to each other and smiles are abundant. In our modern, fast-paced society, that kind of courtesy is perhaps no longer the norm—possibly due to our lack of deep connection with the place in which we live.
![Bright red cactus flowers bloom among spiky, pale green stems, with several buds visible on a sandy ground background. [gen-ai]](https://elpalacio.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image001-4-400x225.jpg)
By Eve West Bessier & Tommy Archuleta Eve West BessierGila Triptych 1. The Crimson Hedgehog Cactus (Echinocereus Triglochidiatus) Your overt juxtaposition of skin lacerating aggression and soul captivating lushness is an approach-avoidance dance. I cannot resist your improbable gesture of seduction. Your Byzantine palette of purple stamen contained as deep surprise within vermilion blossoms is piously papal, while your chartreuse stigma screams inebriated Mardi Gras!
