Larry Torres
{{Short description|American foreign languages educator}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Larry Torres
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_date = 1954
| birth_place = Arroyo Seco, New Mexico, USA
| occupation = Associate professor
}}
Larry Torres is an American writer and educator who was an associate professor of foreign languages at the University of New Mexico in Taos, New Mexico. He has taught Russian, French, Spanish, English, bilingual education and ancient languages. In 2003, he was the head of the university's Fine Arts and Culture Department. He is also a founding member of the Governor's School for International Studies in Tennessee.{{sfnp|Mell|2003}}{{sfnp|Masco|2006|p=[https://archive.org/details/nuclearborderlan00masc/page/n90 165]}}
Torres is the author of Six Nuevomexicano Folk Dramas for Advent Season{{sfnp|Torres|1999}} and has contributed to a number of other works. He is regularly recognized for his expertise in the culture and folklore of northern New Mexico.
In May 2019, Torres announced his retirement from teaching.{{sfnp|Hooks|2019}}
Early life
Larry Torres is the second of eight children born to parents who, themselves, never completed high school.{{Cite web |title=Milken Educator Larry Torres (NM '93) |url=http://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/educators/view/larry-torres |access-date=2022-10-07 |website=www.milkeneducatorawards.org |language=en-US}}
Awards and recognitions
Torres has received a number of awards for his work in the field of education. He was a recipient of the Walt Disney Corporation's Outstanding National Foreign Language Teacher of the Year Award in 1992.{{sfnp|HLNS staff|1993}} In 1993, he received the National Educator Award.{{cite web|url=http://www.mff.org/mea/mea.taf?page=recipient&meaID=843|title=Larry Torres|accessdate=2008-06-18|publisher=Milken Family Foundation|year=1993}} He was also a recipient of the Golden Apple Award{{cite news|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-315680_ITM|title=Noted Teacher to Discuss Penitente Brotherhood|accessdate=2008-06-18|date=1997-04-11|work=Albuquerque Journal}} for which he received a scholarship and sabbatical to continue his research.{{cite news|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-321016_ITM|title=Top Educators Finish Sabbaticals|accessdate=2008-06-18|date=1997-01-05|work=Albuquerque Journal}}
Torres has been named Outstanding New Mexican of the Year twice.{{cite web|url=http://cas.memphis.edu/govschool/07student_handbook.pdf |title=The Governor's Schools of Tennessee: Student Handbook |accessdate=2008-06-18 |publisher=The University of Memphis |year=2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516071506/http://cas.memphis.edu/govschool/07student_handbook.pdf |archivedate=May 16, 2008 }} Torres was given the Camino Real Award as one of 15 Outstanding New Mexicans for 1996.{{cn|date=March 2022}}
In 1998, his radio talk show Cafecito y Cultura won first place for best public service from the Associated Press and in 1999 his radio show Paso a Paso won a first place for best documentary on the airwaves, also by the Associated Press of New Mexico.{{cn|date=March 2022}}
In 2003, Torres received a grant through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to work with New Mexico State University in the development of material for the teaching of first generation Hispanic students at the university level. Its focus is on cultural sensitivity training and enhancement.{{cn|date=March 2022}}
Public appearances
In 2005, he appeared on the television show Good Morning America and in 2008 on NBC's The Today Show to discuss the Taos Hum.{{sfnp|SFNM staff|2008}} He has also appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno{{cite web|url=http://taosguide.com/press_releases/view/10 |title=Press Release Taos: Hidden Culture Revealed in Mystic Secrets |accessdate=2009-07-07 |date=2009-07-07 |work=Taos Vacation Guide |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512015059/http://taosguide.com/press_releases/view/10 |archivedate=May 12, 2008 }}{{better source needed|date=March 2022}} and the national radio show America Tonight.
Works
=Books=
- {{cite book |last1=Núñez |first1=Guillermina |last2=Torres |first2=Larry |year=1992 |title=Yo seigo de Taosi: ensayos culturales Nuevo Mexicanos |publisher=El Crepúsculo, Inc. |isbn=978-0963291400 |lang=es |ref=none}}
- {{cite book |last=Torres |first=Larry |year=1999 |title=Six Nuevomexicano Folk Dramas for the Advent Season |publisher=University of New Mexico Press |isbn=978-0-8263-1963-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/sixnuevomexicano0000unse |url-access=registration}}
- {{cite book |last=Torres |first=Larry |year=2010 |title=Cruising the Camino Real |publisher=El Hermitano Press |isbn=978-0984282609 |ref=none}}
- {{cite book |last=Torres |first=Larry |year=2010 |title=In the Footsteps of the Hermit |publisher=El Hermitano Press |isbn=978-0984282616 |ref=none}}
- {{cite book |last=Torres |first=Larry |year=2021 |title=The Children of the Blue Nun |publisher=Outskirts Press |isbn=978-1977239990 |ref=none}}
- {{cite book |last=Torres |first=Larry |date=n.d. |title=Habla Usted Spanglish |publisher=IAJ Press |isbn=978-0983495055 |ref=none}}
=Podcasts=
- {{cite AV media |series=Cultural Perspectives |first=Larry |last=Torres |year=2012 |type=multiple podcasts |title=In the Footsteps of the Hermit |publisher=New Mexico State University, Media Productions |url=https://archive.org/details/podcast_cultural-perspectives-larry-t_428176242 |access-date=2022-03-16 |ref=none}}
=Articles=
- "Habla Usted Spamglish?" weekly column in The Taos News.{{sfnp|Hooks|2019}}{{cite web|url=http://elhermitano.nmsu.edu/ |title=El Hermitaño |publisher=New Mexico State University |date=2005-09-01 |accessdate=2011-03-16}}
- "Growing up Spanglish" weekly column in The Santa Fe New Mexican.{{sfnp|Hooks|2019}}
- Four entries in the Hispanic American Religious Culture.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GFrwuj-ZXMkC&q=Hispanic+American+Religious+Cultures+larry+torres&pg=PA351 |title=Hispanic American Religious Cultures - Google Books |year=2009 |isbn=9781598841398 |accessdate=2011-03-16}}
- Multiple entries in the Sacred Places of Taos.{{cite web|author=The next generation of Blakes |url=http://taossacredplaces.com/places |title=Places: Taos Pueblo, Ranchos Church, The Taos Hum |publisher=Taos Sacred Places |date= |accessdate=2011-03-16}}
References
=Citations=
{{reflist|2}}
=Works cited=
- {{cite serial |author=HLNS staff |date=November 21, 1993 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lq4LAAAAYAAJ&q=%22Larry+Torres%22 |title=Hispanic Link Weekly Report |access-date=2008-06-18 |publisher=Hispanic Link News Service }}
- {{cite news |first=Cody |last=Hooks |date=June 5, 2019 |url=https://www.taosnews.com/news/education/taos-icon-larry-torres-retires-after-teaching-generations-of-students/article_da1a6b45-4381-57aa-9b21-45ba07859206.html |title=Taos icon Larry Torres retires after teaching generations of students: Spamglish columnist plans to continue writing, learning |newspaper=Taos News}}
- {{cite book |title=The Nuclear Borderlands: The Manhattan Project in Post-Cold War New Mexico |url=https://archive.org/details/nuclearborderlan00masc |url-access=limited |last=Masco |first=Joseph |year=2006 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=0691120773}}
- {{cite news |first=Carol |last=Mell |title=Keeping the Culture Alive |date=January 17, 2003 |work=Albuquerque Journal}}
- {{cite news |author=SFNM staff |url=http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Leisure/17-mitote-2-17-08 |title=El Mitote |access-date=2008-06-18 |date=February 16, 2008 |newspaper=The Santa Fe New Mexican |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523090716/http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Leisure/17-mitote-2-17-08 |archive-date=2011-05-23 |url-status=dead}}
Further reading
- {{cite book |editor-first=Miguel A. |editor-last=De La Torre |year=2009 |title=Hispanic American Religious Culture |series=American Religious Cultures |volume=1 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1598841398}}
- {{cite news |last=Headerle |first=Michael |title=In New Mexico, parishioners keep their church immortal |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=June 20, 2010 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-jun-20-la-na-hometown-taos-20100620-story.html |access-date=2022-03-16}}
- {{cite book |last=Mellott |first=David M. |title=I Was and I Am Dust: Penitente Practices as a Way of Knowing |publisher=Liturgical Press |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-8146-6225-0}}
- {{cite news |last=Nathanson |first=Rick |title=Character Driven: Taos' history, allure linked to personalities who have called it home |newspaper=Albuquerque Journal (Summer Guide) |date=May 9, 2010}}
External links
- {{cite web |url=http://lartor.com/biography.html |title=Larry Torres Biography |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161024023631/http://lartor.com/biography.html |archive-date=2016-10-24 |url-status=usurped}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Torres, Larry}}
Category:20th-century American educators
Category:21st-century American educators
Category:Hispanic and Latino American academics
Category:New Mexico State University alumni