Mango Moon Media Shines at the NMBA Summer Gala

As the summer drew to a close in late August, the literary heart of New Mexico beat a little brighter at the New Mexico Book Association (NMBA) Summer Gala. It was an evening filled with inspiration, connection, and celebration, and Mango Moon Media was thrilled to be in attendance, represented by our co-founder, Mari Angulo.
The highlight of the night was a powerful and moving reading by special guest Deborah Taffa, whose memoir, Whiskey Tender, has taken the literary world by storm. A finalist for the 2024 National Book Award and named a top ten book of the year by prestigious outlets like The Atlantic, Time, and NPR, Taffa’s work is a testament to the power of story. As a 2024 NEA Fellow and the director of the MFA in Creative Writing program at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, her presence was a true inspiration. Listening to her read an excerpt was a reminder of exactly why we do what we do: to elevate transformative voices.

A Double Honor: Celebrating Our Southwest Book Design Finalists

​The celebratory spirit of the evening was made even more meaningful as we cheered for our own! We are immensely proud to announce that two Mango Moon Media publications have been named finalists in the NMBA’s 2025 Southwest Book Design Awards (SWBDA):

• Beyond Fear: A Woman’s Path to Enlightenment by Karen Chrappa
• The Dark Side of Grace by Ron Chapman​

Here’s to the stories that change us and the beautiful forms that bring them to life.