Marfa: The Transformation of a West Texas Town

Shafer writes a thought provoking and in depth analysis of Marfa's transformation over the decades. The book is well written and enjoyably intellectual. However, my favorite parts were when Shafer weighed in with her own personal perspectives and experiences of Marfa -- where the reader gets to experience Marfa through her eyes.

This book is a thesis-level analysis of a very small Texas border town that is struggling with its new identity as a tourist destination. A must-read for anyone going to Marfa.

a quirky and charming take on a W TX icon. would be nice if book was printed in a larger size - almost coffee table size - and in color given photos (and even more could be added).

Well written. A great summary of Marfa.

Saw this in a cafe and bought it the next day!

I was disappointed that the author did not spend more time on Marfa before the Donald Judd era. I grew up there and graduated from Marfa High School, but then my family moved away and I eventually married and moved out of Texas. My husband and I have visited the Marfa/Alpine/Ft. Davis area several times during the past 20 years, most recently in 2016. I suppose the author felt her main subject was the "transformation," but I felt that she gave very little time to Marfa's interesting past. She was especially dismissive of the local ranch families and their impact on the town and the entire Big Bend area. The book would have been more interesting if the author had included some "before and after' photos of various buildings in Marfa. I know for a fact that old photos show how Marfa looked back in the 1940's and 1950's, or even long before that. On a positive side, interviews with current local residents were quite interesting.

Great fir learning about the place

Very interesting short book on the ridiculous transformation of a very small West Texas town into the momentary new hot destination.