It's not all that surprising that the Alibi's illustrious film editor possesses several tomes dedicated to New Mexico's dark spiritual forces. After all, O'Leary's entire wardrobe is black. Likewise, everyone thinks he's so pale because he spends the daylight hours watching movies in dark movie theaters, but there could be other explanations. I've heard rumors that he sleeps in a coffin; that he owns a 12-foot boa constrictor named Carl; that he was born and raised in a remote castle in Ireland. Makes you wonder. Anyway, Devin was kind enough to supply me with a few of the more intriguing titles from his collection. Here's a quick run-down.
Adobe Angels: The Ghosts Of Albuquerque And Adobe Angels: The Ghosts Of Las Cruces And Southern New Mexico Antonio R. Garcez
The one dedicated to Southern New Mexican spirits is actually bilingual. Both are ornamented throughout with cool photographs and artwork. The one about Albuquerque is shorter and includes descriptions of several of the more famous Burque ghosts—the little boy ghost at the KiMo Theatre, the elder lady ghost at the Albuquerque Press Club, etc. A nice touch is that the book includes profiles and interviews with people who claim to have actually seen these ghosts or experienced other paranormal activities at the places being described.
Mysteries And Miracles Of New Mexico: Guide Book To The Genuinely Bizarre In The Land Of Enchantment Jack Kutz
Mysteries and Miracles of New Mexico has been around since the late '80s. Over the years it's become a kind of regional classic. Kutz focuses less on ghosts than on other freaky aspects of our state—the mystery stone near Los Lunas, claims of cattle mutilations in Northern New Mexico, the numerous UFO sightings that have occurred around New Mexico over the last half century. Kutz does dig into witchcraft and strange phantoms at certain points in the book. Any fan of New Mexican weirdness should definitely have this one on their shelf.
Haunted Places Dennis William Hauck
This is a national directory of sites thought to be inhabited by spirits from the other world. It includes fairly extensive listings on New Mexico and surrounding states. Pick this one up for your next coast to coast tour of the supernatural.
