Nash Candelaria

Nash Candelaria (May 7, 1928 – January 5, 2016) was an American novelist. He was known for a tetralogy of novels about the Rafa family. He has been called the "historical novelist of the Hispanic people of New Mexico."

Biography

Early life Candelaria was born in Los Angeles to a Mexican American family, but his family can trace its lineage back to the first settlers of New Mexico and to the founders of Albuquerque. Candelaria has always considered New Mexico his home and, in addition to moving there permanently as an adult,

"Not by the Sword" takes the Rafa family back to the time of the Mexican War, 1846–1848. when the Rafas of New Mexico became Americans by conquest. One reviewer described it as taboo, a story often ignored about American Manifest Destiny. "Inheritance of Strangers" is in essence a sequel to "Sword." It is some years later (1890) when New Mexico has become Americanized during the time of the coming of the railroad and of "Anglos" from back East. "Leonor Park" takes place prior to the Great Depression of 1930. It is the story of a battle for land full of greed, intrigue, and skullduggery.

Marriage and children

In 1955 Nash Candelaria married Doranne Godwin, an actress and videographer. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2005. They have two sons, both musicians, making for an artistic family. Doranne, born in Tallahassee, Florida, is of English-Irish descent. They met when both worked for an analytical instrument company in Fullerton, California. Now in retirement, they both work full-time on their artistic endeavors.

Philosophical and/or political views

Although Candelaria's career coincides with the Chicano cultural renaissance, he resists being classified as simply a "Chicano writer." As he describes his work:

I don't see my writing as a political instrument. I don't belong to the Chicano Movement. My current writing is on Chicano subjects, but I have written on other themes and probably will in the future. Not By the Sword novel (1982) Inheritance of Strangers novel (1985) The Day the Cisco Kid Shot John Wayne story collection (1988) Leonor Park novel (1991) "John Wayne, Person and Persona: The love affairs of an American legend," Hopscotch: A Cultural Review 2.4 (2001) 2–13 Uncivil Rights and Other Stories (1998) A Daughter's a Daughter novel (2008) Second Communion memoir (2010)

Awards American Book Award for Not by the Sword Finalist, Western Writers of America's Best Western Historical Novel award for Not by the Sword Finalist, Western Writers of America's Best Western Short Fiction for "The Dancing School" Finalist, PEN Southwest Fiction Award for the novel A Daughter's a Daughter Honorable Mention, International Latino Book Awards for the memoir "Second Communion" Finalist, PEN Southwest Fiction award for the novel "A Daughter's a Daughter