His memoirs, "Seldom Disappointed," are full of his light humor, and well-worth reading.
He was 83. A NY Times review of the book said "He belonged to a generation that is about to disappear over the edge of history."

Not only an author, he was editor of the Santa Fe New Mexican for several years. He taught journalism at the University of New Mexico, and was chairman of the Department until he began writing full-time in 1981.

Anyone re-reading his gems or discovering them for the first time should start with the first, written in 1970, "The Blessing Way."

Departing from Dineh country, his "Fly on the Wall" is an exceptional novel.

As a former editor, I am sure that he would be lamenting the passing of the Albuquerque Tribune, which is ending publication. Only the "Journal" remains as a daily, their attitude expressed by the demand of subscription for their online summary.
I remember when families took several newspapers, with their varied viewpoints, but that day is gone, and we are left with the cries of alarm, and biased navel gazing of CNN. "...a generation about to disappear" indeed.