I accept Paula Gunn Allen donations anywhere in the Albuquerque metro with free pickup — the whole collection: The Sacred Hoop, the novel The Woman Who Owned the Shadows, the anthology Spider Woman's Granddaughters, Grandmothers of the Light, Pocahontas, and the poetry. You don't sort or price anything. Bring it all; first printings and signed copies are recognized, and the rest funds New Mexico literacy.
Published June 2026 · By Josh Eldred, New Mexico Literacy Project
Paula Gunn Allen was born in Cubero, near Laguna Pueblo, and became one of the most influential scholars and writers of Native American literature — her The Sacred Hoop reshaped the field, and she was a cousin and early champion of Leslie Marmon Silko. Her books are taught in universities everywhere, and they turn up on New Mexico shelves. When an Allen collection gets cleared, most people just want it to land somewhere that honors it. That's exactly what I'm for: I take the whole thing, free, and I check every book.
What I take: all of it
The scholarship & anthologies
The Sacred Hoop: Recovering the Feminine in American Indian Traditions, Spider Woman's Granddaughters, Grandmothers of the Light, and Pocahontas.
The fiction & poetry
The novel The Woman Who Owned the Shadows, and the poetry collections (Shadow Country, Skins and Bones, Life Is a Fatal Disease).
Any condition
First printings, signed copies, the Beacon Press editions, small-press poetry, worn paperbacks, and reading copies — bring whatever's on the shelf.
You don't have to know what's valuable
Here's the honest picture: most of Allen's trade editions are common and modest in value — but first printings and signed copies are collected, especially the foundational The Sacred Hoop (1986) and the early novel The Woman Who Owned the Shadows (1983), and her small-press poetry collections can be quietly scarce because the runs were small. You don't have to figure out which printing you have; bring the whole shelf and I'll recognize the first printings and signed copies, set them aside, and keep the reading copies in circulation, with any hidden value identified and handled properly.
Why donate instead of selling it yourself
For a signed first you know is special, selling on your own is fine. For the rest — paperbacks and later printings — listing each book is more work than it's worth. Donating handles it in one call: no research, no pricing, no listings, no shipping, free pickup at your door, reading copies to new readers, and any first printing or signed copy recognized and supporting New Mexico literacy. Here's where donated books go.
How free pickup works
Call or text 702-496-4214 (or schedule online), tell me roughly how much there is and where you are, and we set a time. I come to you and load it all. I cover Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Corrales, the East Mountains, and the surrounding metro, and I handle whole-house and estate cleanouts regularly.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I donate Paula Gunn Allen books in Albuquerque?
Right here — free pickup anywhere in the metro for the whole collection: the scholarship, the anthologies, the fiction, the poetry. Call or text 702-496-4214.
Are Paula Gunn Allen books collectible?
Most are common, but first printings and signed copies (The Sacred Hoop 1986, The Woman Who Owned the Shadows 1983) and small-press poetry are collected. Bring it all and let me check.
Paperbacks too?
Yes — Beacon Press paperbacks and reading copies. Just don't throw any of it out first.
Cite This Guide
Eldred, J. (June 2026). Donate Paula Gunn Allen Books in Albuquerque — Free Pickup. New Mexico Literacy Project.
https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/donate-paula-gunn-allen-books-albuquerque
Licensed under CC BY 4.0.