I accept Stanley Crawford donations anywhere in the Albuquerque metro with free pickup — the whole collection: Mayordomo, A Garlic Testament, The Garlic Papers, and the novels Log of the S.S. The Mrs Unguentine, Some Instructions to My Wife, Gascoyne, and Travel Notes. 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
Stanley Crawford farms garlic in Dixon, in the Embudo Valley, and writes two very different kinds of book: spare, beloved chronicles of acequia and farm life (Mayordomo, A Garlic Testament) and sharp experimental novels (Log of the S.S. The Mrs Unguentine). Both have devoted readers, and his shelves turn up across northern New Mexico. When one 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 New Mexico farm books
Mayordomo: Chronicle of an Acequia in Northern New Mexico, A Garlic Testament: Seasons on a Small New Mexico Farm, and The Garlic Papers.
The novels
Log of the S.S. The Mrs Unguentine (1972), Some Instructions to My Wife, Gascoyne, Travel Notes, and Petroleum Man.
Any condition
The scarce 1972 first, the Dalkey Archive reissues, UNM Press editions, signed copies, worn paperbacks, and reading copies — bring whatever's on the shelf.
You don't have to know what's valuable
Here's the reason to call rather than dump: Crawford's first printings and signed copies are collected — especially the acequia classic Mayordomo (1988), which won a Western States Book Award, and the cult novel Log of the S.S. The Mrs Unguentine, whose 1972 first edition is the scarce one (it was later revived by Dalkey Archive). To a non-collector the 1972 first and the reissue can look much alike. That's exactly the distinction I check. Bring the whole shelf and I'll recognize the early firsts and signed copies, 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 1972 first or a signed Mayordomo, selling on your own can pay. For the reprints and paperbacks, listing each 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 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 Stanley Crawford books in Albuquerque?
Right here — free pickup anywhere in the metro for the whole collection: the farm books and the novels. Call or text 702-496-4214.
Are Stanley Crawford books collectible?
First printings and signed copies are collected (Mayordomo 1988; the 1972 Unguentine first is scarce); reissues are common. Bring it all and let me check.
Paperbacks too?
Yes — UNM Press and Dalkey Archive paperbacks and reading copies. Just don't throw any of it out first.
Cite This Guide
Eldred, J. (June 2026). Donate Stanley Crawford Books in Albuquerque — Free Pickup. New Mexico Literacy Project.
https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/donate-stanley-crawford-books-albuquerque
Licensed under CC BY 4.0.