Tales of the Big Bend

By Elton Miles

Book Overview

Now in its sixth printing, the first of Elton Miles's folklore collections tells stories as inseparable from the region as the Rio Grande itself. The tales cover supernatural phenomena such as the Marfa lights and water witching, murders, feuds, and lost treasures. Together, they reflect the rugged land where Anglo, Indian, and Mexican cultures meet. Elton Miles is professor emeritus at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0890963606
• ISBN13: 9780890963609
• Release Date: April 1987
• Publisher: Texas A&M University Press
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.4" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

An excellent collection of West Texas folklore

Anyone from the Texas borderlands, as well as anyone who enjoys regional folklore, will find this collection interesting and highly enjoyable! The stories range from the mysterious ("The Marfa Lights") to the chilling ("Chisos Ghosts") to the amusing ("Bobcat Carter"). There's an excellent chapter devoted to the infamous Indian hunter John Glanton (who features prominently in Cormac McCarthy's "Blood Meridian"), and many others detailing the historical and religious folklore of the area. I used to check this book out of my elementary school library constantly back in the mid 1980s, and twenty years later, I still enjoy re-reading these stories!

first rate collection of local American tales

The stories in Tales of the Big Bend are as inseparable from the region as the Rio Grande itself. Miles evokes Indian, Mexican and Anglo traditions that converge in this area in this collection of tales. They cover supernatural phenomena such as the Marfa lights and water witching, murders, feuds, and lost treasures. Based almost entirely on stories Elton Miles collected from local residents, Tales of the Big Bend should find a well-merited place next to the works of such Texas folkloric giants as Americo Paredes and J. Frank Dobie. The late Elton Miles was professor emeritus of English at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas.