Donate Rolando Hinojosa Books — Free Albuquerque Pickup

I accept Rolando Hinojosa donations anywhere in the Albuquerque metro with free pickup — the whole collection: the entire Klail City Death Trip Series (Estampas del valle, Klail City, Korean Love Songs, Dear Rafe / Mi querido Rafa, Rites and Witnesses, Partners in Crime, Becky and Her Friends, The Useless Servants, Ask a Policeman). You don't sort or price anything. Bring it all; the early Quinto Sol first and signed copies are recognized, and the rest funds New Mexico literacy.

Published June 2026 · By Josh Eldred, New Mexico Literacy Project

Rolando Hinojosa built one of the great projects in American letters — the multi-volume Klail City Death Trip Series, a decades-long chronicle of a fictional Rio Grande Valley county. He's a pillar of Chicano literature, read in classrooms across the Southwest, and his books are written in both Spanish and English. When a Hinojosa 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

You don't have to know what's valuable

Here's the reason to call rather than dump: Hinojosa's early firsts are collectible. Estampas del valle y otras obras (1973) won the Premio Quinto Sol, and Klail City y sus alrededores (1976) won the Premio Casa de las Américas — and the early Quinto Sol and Justa Publications printings had small runs, so true firsts are scarce, especially signed. The later Arte Público reprints are common, and to a non-collector the two can look much alike. That's exactly the distinction I check. Bring the whole shelf and I'll recognize the early firsts, protect them, and keep the reading copies in circulation, with any hidden value identified and handled properly.

Why donate instead of selling it yourself

For a confirmed early first, selling on your own can pay. For the reprints and paperbacks, listing each is more work than it's worth — and they belong in classrooms anyway. 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 a scarce first 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 Rolando Hinojosa books in Albuquerque?

Right here — free pickup anywhere in the metro for the whole Klail City Death Trip series in any language. Call or text 702-496-4214.

Are Rolando Hinojosa books collectible?

The early firsts (Estampas del valle 1973, Klail City 1976) are collectible, signed more; Arte Público reprints common. Bring it all and let me check.

Spanish editions too?

Yes — Spanish and bilingual editions are in high demand for classrooms. Just don't throw any of it out first.