The most memorable parts of Ms. Shafer’s book are her beautiful evocations of Marfa’s high desert landscape, its delicate colors, the big sky and dry air; and of Judd’s art.
~Wall Street Journal
The town that emerges in [Shafer's] book is one beset by social, historical, and even moral contradictions.
~D Magazine
I'll re-read Marfa. . . before I return to Marfa for the third time. My copy of Shafer's book will go with me when I do. When you make your next trip to Marfa, you'll want to take your own copy. You'll be glad you did.
~Concho River Review
Shafer walks a fine line in her discussion of Marfa. On the one hand, she emphasizes the uniqueness and appeal of this small West Texas town that has become an art center, a destination for travelers from around the United States and Beyond. On the other, she notes that much of Marfa's appeal results from an imagined place, one that is probably more illusion than real—real, yes, in passing moments that appear and disappear like the Marfa lights.
~Pacific Historical Review
This book is an easy, enjoyable, and informative read. It appeals to both the casual and academic reader, and those familiar and otherwise with the Big Bend area of Texas. It will be a valuable addition to the collections of many cultural geographers, especially those with an interest in sense of place, art, and tourism.
~Journal of Cultural Geography
Marfa is an engrossing weave of cultural geography and aesthetics in an arid landscape made hip, a compelling story about a special, fraught, and privileged place.
~Char Miller, Pomona College, author of Deep in the Heart of San Antonio: Land and Life in South Texas
Kathleen Shafer has written a vivid, thoughtful account of Marfa’s emergence as an arts center and tourist destination. Accessible and sophisticated, this book illuminates the history of Marfa, the qualities of its arid West Texas landscape, and the transformation set in motion by Donald Judd. A fascinating study of present-day Texas, artists, and the business of art.
~Alan Lessoff, Illinois State University, author of Where Texas Meets the Sea: Corpus Christi and Its History
