tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-251687482012-02-01T07:11:00.111-05:00Madam MayoThe pronouncements of C.M. Mayo on books, creative writing, literary translation, Mexico, Washington DC, the world, human potential, soundwork, cheese, bees, and pugsC.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.comBlogger13291100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-51694692032879766922012-02-01T07:11:00.008-05:002012-02-01T07:11:00.133-05:00Guest-blogger Steve Sando: 5 Beans You're Not EatingSteve Sando, founder of Rancho Gordo, may well be the most out-of-the-box bean farmer in the world. He's the author of Heirloom Beans, a beautiful book packed with information and recipes. I can highly recommend his blog and free newsletter, which you can signup on the blog or the main page. Click right here to shop on-line for Steve's hierloom beans and more. Over to you, Steve!Five Beans You C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-53997061021281997692012-01-30T01:41:00.014-05:002012-01-30T07:28:53.049-05:00Brutal Journey: Cabeza de Vaca and the Epic First Crossing of America by Paul SchneiderIt's peculiar that Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca is not better known. That old saw, "truth is stranger than fiction" applies in his case, or at least his version of events, which one might as well believe because the fantastic fact is, Cabeza de Vaca did reappear in northern Mexico in late April of 1536, one of only four survivors of the 400 who participated in the Narváez expedition to Florida in C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-90850496919869788762012-01-23T00:23:00.018-05:002012-01-23T02:25:03.962-05:00Links Noted: Yayoi Kusama, Kevin Kelly, Thumb Thing, Sam Quinones, Ken Ackerman, Joy of Books, Ken GordonThe World According to Yayoi Kusama(The Financial Times)A very unusual elderly artist whose polkadotted pumpkins fetch the price of a ski condo. The Art of Endless Upgrades(Kevin Kelly's kk.org The Technium blog)I was thinking just the same thing the other day when I had to upgrade my operating system for the second time in a year. (KK's latest book, What Technology Wants, is on my Top 10 Books C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-73134681555100091782012-01-18T00:40:00.008-05:002012-01-19T12:25:31.635-05:00Newsletter January 2012Last year, after I found out about mailchimp on the bodaciously good swissmiss design (and general creativity) blog, I signed up and started sending a newsletter about my books, podcasts, upcoming writing workshops, etc., every once in a while (I'm aiming for 4 - 6 times a year) for those who would like to receive it. (Read about my newsletter philosophy here; sign up to receive the next one-- C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-61083459144193985952012-01-16T15:27:00.007-05:002012-01-16T15:51:41.093-05:00Marfa Mondays Podcasting Project: Welcome and IntroductionToday, Monday, January 16, 2012 is the launch of the Marfa Mondays Podcasting Project: Exploring Marfa, Texas and Environs in 24 Podcasts, one per month through 2013. This project is lieu of (though maybe in addition to) writing magazine articles as I proceed with a book project the title of which... well, it's way too early to say much about that. Suffice it to say it will be a travel memoir C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-74451719030290613562012-01-09T00:01:00.006-05:002012-01-14T20:07:56.328-05:00Yes, I Finished War and Peace on December 31, 2011One of my resolutions for 2011 was to read War and Peace. This was, in fact, also a resolution for 2009 and for 2010... so, round about late October, I realized that if I didn't want to (sigh) put it on my resolutions for 2012 list, I'd better get cracking. It also occured to me that, as a novelist myself and a creative writing teacher, it would be an excellent exercise to keep a blog. I'm alwaysC.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-85686049144246194812011-12-31T11:11:00.002-05:002012-01-14T21:02:33.840-05:00Top 10 Books Read 20111. War and Peace by Leo TolstoyI have so much to say about this, why, I wrote a whole blog.2. What Technology Wants by Kevin KellyThe concept of the "technium" is something I find myself coming back to again and again. The author writes a brilliant blog called The Technium.3. The Magus of Strovolos: The Extraordinary World of a Spiritual Healerby Kyriacos C. MarkidesThis was one of the many booksC.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-11618456910390495392011-12-19T07:45:00.009-05:002011-12-19T11:18:18.750-05:00Conversations with Other Writers: Sara Mansfield Taber, Author of Born Under an Assumed NameJust posted on Conversations with Other Writers:SARA MANSFIELD TABER, AUTHOR OF BORN UNDER AN ASSUMED NAME: THE MEMOIR OF A COLD WAR SPY'S DAUGHTER-> Listen on podomatic-> Listen on iTunesC.M. Mayo talks with Sara Mansfield Taber, author of the memoir Born Under an Assumed Name. For Taber, growing up in Taiwan, Japan, Washington DC, the Netherlands, and Borneo was tough as well as exotic, and sheC.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-79650588159227718072011-12-12T12:15:00.008-05:002011-12-12T12:44:56.997-05:0010 Tips to Help You Get the Most Out of Your Writing WorkshopThe article is now a podcast (about 8 1/2 minutes). Basically, this is everything I wish I'd known when I started taking writing workshops, ayyy, 20+ years ago. --> All my podcasts--> My podcasts for creative writers--> Marfa Mondays podcasts coming soon (follow @marfamondays)Yes, I'm giving a two day only "Techniques of Fiction" workshop this February 2012, directly after the San Miguel Writers C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-57590762299574554992011-12-07T06:49:00.000-05:002011-12-07T06:49:00.154-05:00Where the Buffalo is Marfa? About the TrailerSo, who are all these wacky people in my "Where the Buffalo is Marfa?" trailer for the Marfa Mondays Podcasting Project: Exploring Marfa, Texas & Environs in 24 Podcasts? I have no idea. The clips and photos are all "gigs" from www.fiverr.com-- check out their profiles and many other gigs, all @ USD $5 each. All of these fiverr.com sellers were prompt and professional, and I can recommend them C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-41478392742339163732011-12-05T00:04:00.005-05:002011-12-05T00:54:05.377-05:00Reading War & PeaceI'm plumb in the middle of it: wow. Reading War & Peace has long been on my "bucket list" and it is such a delight to find that it more than deserves its reputation-- and it looks like, yes, I will get to the end of it before December 31st. Right now I'm on page 722, just after the old prince (Andrei's father) has expired of a stroke and the French are about to swarm over his estate. Talk about C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-17223660437645811302011-11-30T14:47:00.016-05:002011-11-30T16:17:37.646-05:00Blogs Noted: Reading War and Peace, Sam Quinones, Sophy Burnham, Sandell Morse, and MoreSupercut.orgCheck out the "supercut" video riffing through Nicholas Cage's wiggy and not so wiggy hairstyles. Read what Kevin Kelly has to say about the so-called "supercuts" genre here. Reading War & Peace: A Novelist's NotesYes, it's by Yours Truly, and I'm just catching up with the blog posts-- I am actually now about half way through this "loose baggy monster," right after the fall of C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-65339476264843644402011-11-28T19:05:00.003-05:002011-11-29T11:15:44.593-05:00Onward, War and PeaceI'm more than half way through War and Peace-- page 709 to be precise. As for blogging about it, I'm more than a bit behind, oh well. Looks like I'll make the year-end resolution to read the whole enchilada in 2011. It took some effort to get started, but it is a mighty and glorious read.---> Read my Reading War & Peace blog here.C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-46750165221783313032011-11-22T04:44:00.007-05:002011-11-22T04:59:48.052-05:00Dr Konrad Ratz Today @ 17:00 in the National Palace, Mexico CityDr Konrad Ratz has translated a profoundly important work for understanding Maximilian's Mexican adventure and gruesome end: The reports of the Prussian Ambassador to Mexico, Baron von Magnus, to Otto von Bismarck. Those who are aficionados of the period will know that Baron Magnus was the only diplomat who witnessed Maximilian's execution in 1867. Dr Ratz found Magnus's reports in the archives C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-74804378939286640042011-11-21T23:59:00.005-05:002011-11-21T23:59:00.095-05:00Conversation with Other Writers Podcast: Solveig Eggerz on Seal WomanJust posted, a new podcast of an interview with my amiga, the amazing writer Solveig Eggerz, about her poetic novel, Seal Woman-- and Iceland, writing, publishing, facebook, and more.Listen in on podomatic or, listen in on iTunes.Here's the official description:As part of the new series of occasional conversations with other writers, C.M. Mayo talks with Solveig Eggerz, author of the fiercely C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-64465244929741443512011-11-16T00:08:00.002-05:002011-11-21T14:56:57.066-05:00Guest-blogger Andrew Dayton on 5 Books to Get Your Head Inside IranGuest-blogging today is Andrew Dayton, co-author, with his wife Elahe, of The House That War Minister Built, a most unusual epic historical novel that is attracting showers of praise. From the jacket:"In the crumbling days of the Qajar dynasty, Nargess's fate seems sealed as the upstart Reza Khan Shah sends his army to surround her husband's palace. She does not know that the greatest threat liesC.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-36198327367406287562011-11-11T23:39:00.000-05:002011-11-12T02:00:41.366-05:00Veterans Day: My Dad on the Importance of Sharing ResearchApropos of Veterans Day, I'd like to mention a very special video. It's a talk my dad, Roger Mansell (1935-2010), was scheduled to give at a conference in September 2010 in England on the history of POWs in the Far East. But he wasn't well enough to travel, so his friend and fellow POW researcher John Hicks recorded it for him at home. It was played at the conference to much applause for his C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-66347181558335010872011-11-11T13:17:00.015-05:002011-11-11T21:07:19.444-05:00THE SECRET BOOK OF THE LEADER OF MEXICO'S 1910 REVOLUTION, SPIRITIST MANUAL, BY FRANCISCO I. MADERO, TRANSLATED BY C.M. MAYOHere's the official press release:THE SECRET BOOK OF THE LEADER OF MEXICO'S 1910 REVOLUTION, SPIRITIST MANUAL (1911) BY FRANCISCO I. MADERO, TRANSLATED BY C.M. MAYO (DANCING CHIVA, 2011)NOVEMBER 11, 2011FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMORE INFORMATION: Click hereWHO: Francisco I. Madero, leader of the Mexican Revolution of 1910, and President of Mexico from 1911-1913, author (as "Bhima") of the Manual C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-61403006787545457542011-11-08T23:30:00.002-05:002011-11-09T04:11:14.012-05:00Kindle Edition is Live: Francisco I. Madero's Secret Book of 1911, The Spiritist Manual, Translated by Yours TrulyThe Kindle edition of the Spiritist Manual, my translation of Francisco I. Madero's Manual espírita, is available-- as of today (though the official pub date is this Friday)-- at www.amazon.comI will be giving a lecture about this most unusual book on Thursday November 10 as part of the "Author's Sala" reading series in San Miguel de Allende. Click here for more about that. Apart from its C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-40931419188506983302011-11-07T23:33:00.000-05:002011-11-09T04:39:35.138-05:00A Monday Morning MeditationJust look at these pictures... of Michael Aaron McAllister's studio... pure order, plus pugs!(I don't know the artist; I found this via a visit to one of my favoroite podcast series, Rice Freeman Zachary's "Notes from the Voodoo Lounge".)C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-17465316697229819592011-10-31T23:58:00.002-04:002011-11-03T05:18:23.572-04:00Astral Projection, Interplanetary Reincarnation (and Way More!)Working on the website for the Spiritist Manual, my translation of Francisco I. Madero's 1911 secret book, Manual espírita. Read all about it here. Watch the plummy new video here:I'll be presenting and discussing my translation of this most unusual work in San Miguel de Allende next Thursday November 10th at the Author's Sala reading series. The book will be available as an e-book, both PDF and C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-66367805251276274292011-10-26T08:47:00.000-04:002011-10-26T08:48:23.586-04:00Lift Off! War and PeaceSo, I started War and Peace. Again. Dagnabbit, 2011 is the year! I'll be posting the first blog about that later this evening at the Reading Tolstoy's War & Peace blog.For those of you who follow the Maximilian ~ Carlota blog, the Tuesday update is on-line. No, I don't blog every day. Just Mondays here, some Tuesdays at Maximilian ~ Carlota (that's to share my research on the Second Empire /C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-50217238863204835072011-10-24T01:26:00.002-04:002011-10-24T01:31:28.151-04:00I Really Am Going to Read War and PeaceRead all about it over at the Reading Tolstoy's War & Peace blog. 2011 is the year.C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-36676681832654782562011-10-19T22:04:00.001-04:002011-10-21T03:03:55.550-04:00Guest-blogger Jim Johnston on Mexico City’s Centro Histórico: Five things to see with your feet off the groundBorn in New York City, Jim Johnston grew up in the woods of New Hampshire. After studying architecture at the University of Virginia and graphic design at the School of Visual Arts, he worked as a professional artist and potter in New York City for 27 years. He moved to Mexico in 1997, where he continues working as an artist and writer. A few years ago, I was fortunate to make his acquaintance C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-86094711889505597102011-10-17T16:02:00.004-04:002011-10-17T16:11:39.737-04:00Event in Mexico City October 18, 2011Some news re: The Last Prince of the Mexican EmpireTomorrow, October 18th 5 pm, I'm doing an unusual event for my book, the Spanish translation (beautifully translated by Agustín Cadena), El último príncipe del Imperio Mexicano: a live interview by Bertha Hernández in the National Palace (Palacio Naciona), as part of a series hosted by Random House Mandadori and SHCP about the historical novel ofC.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-56434319347769560652011-10-12T23:52:00.002-04:002011-10-14T05:20:36.993-04:00Guest-Blog Archive On-LineThe Wednesday guest-blog will resume next week with a very fun piece by my amigo, the Mexico City-based artist and travel writer Jim Johnston. Meanwhile, check out some of these other guest-blogs on Mexico:>Nicholas Gilman 5 Funky Foods and Where to Find Them in Mexico City>Claudia Long 5 Delicious Links on the Food of Baroque Mexico>Trudy Balch on 5 Things Gaby Brimmer Loved, or Would Have>DavidC.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-21753437053980790622011-10-10T16:15:00.001-04:002011-10-14T02:10:35.824-04:00Author's Sala on November 10, Reading from and Discussing Francisco I. Madero's Spiritist ManualSome news: on November 10 as part of the Author's Sala reading series in San Miguel de Allende, I'll be reading from and discussing my translation-- the first into English-- of Francisco I. Madero's secret book, Spiritist Manual. Yes, Francisco I. Madero, the leader of the Mexican Revolution of 1910 and President of Mexico, really did write this book with the pen name "Bhima," a character in the C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-41076279915641317032011-10-05T15:25:00.016-04:002012-01-19T18:17:38.043-05:00Podcasting: 5 Frequently Asked Questions for Yours TrulyOn Wednesdays I run a guest-blog post when I happen to have one. This week's didn't come through. Oh well! So I'm going to talk about podcasting, my new enthusiasm. (Click here to visit my main podcast page.)WHAT PROMPTED YOU TO START PODCASTING?I started podcasting back in 2009 because I wanted to make available my lecture at the Library of Congress about the research behind my novel based on C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-60820542207855826932011-10-03T20:42:00.004-04:002011-10-03T20:56:23.599-04:00New Podcast in the Series on Creative Writing: How to Break a BlockThe occasional podcast series on creative writing continues. Just posted: How to Break a Block. Several podcasts are coming up on various subjects, including conversations with other writers. Check out my main podcast page here.Further surfing:>I'll be teaching "Techniques of Fiction" at the San Miguel Writers Workshops and also in Mexico City this winter. Click here for my schedule.>Giant GoldenC.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-47700605817877788802011-09-28T00:02:00.024-04:002011-09-28T17:13:44.104-04:00Guest-blogger Claudia Long: 5 Delicious Links on the Food of Baroque MexicoGrowing up in the United States, I never once, that I can recall, heard of Sor Juana. But once in Mexico—- I arrived some 25 years ago-- I found her to be ubiquitious, literally. She's on the 200 peso bill right now. You cannot visit a bookstore in Mexico without finding something by or about her. Back before Mexico was Mexico, that is, when it was still a Spanish colony, Sor Juana, which means "C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-53132300047055054292011-09-26T01:15:00.013-04:002011-09-27T12:18:22.082-04:00Three Messages and a Warning: Contemporary Mexican Short Stories of the FantasticJust in time for Halloween or, I should say, Day of the Dead:So very delighted to see this: the new anthology edited by Eduardo Jiménez Mayo and Chris N. Brown, which includes my translation of Agustín Cadena's masterful short story, "Murillo Park," just got this review in Publisher's Weekly:Three Messages and a Warning: Contemporary Mexican Short Stories of the FantasticEdited by Eduardo JiménezC.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-30779109708201307252011-09-26T00:01:00.003-04:002011-10-15T12:02:13.221-04:00Trailer for My Translation of "Bhima's" Manual EspíritaA new trailer (about 1 and a half minutes):Forthcoming this fall as an e-book from Dancing Chiva Literary Arts. Want to be alerted when it's available? >>Join the Dancing Chiva mailing list>>Join the C.M. Mayo mailing listUPDATE October 15, 2011: The book now has its own website, with extensive Q & A, resources for researchers (bibliographies, lists of archives, films, podcasts,and more).C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-34042253525012342932011-09-23T14:37:00.006-04:002011-09-23T16:47:48.899-04:00Workshop, Podcasts, Newsletter for September 2011--> Tomorrow, Saturday 24th, I'll be giving a one day only workshop on "Techniques of Fiction" at the Writer's Center in Bethesda, Maryland (near Washington DC). Visit my "Workshop Schedule" page for details.--> If you can't make that, or, even if you can, may this podcast, "The Number One Technique in the Supersonic Overview," be of use for you with your writing.--> More podcasts, workshops, theC.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-67181785577944919812011-09-21T00:08:00.018-04:002011-09-22T01:19:38.741-04:00Guestblogger Midwife and Author Patricia Harman on 5 Sites to Help You Go GreenTo the average reader this might seem silly, but we writers tend to obsess about publishing-- so should it be any suprise that what first caught my attention about Patricia Harman's books was that they are published by Beacon? For those of you don't know Beacon, it's one of the finest small literary presses in the U.S. (it also happens to be the publisher of my amiga Sara Mansfield Taber's C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-2186329075628944332011-09-19T13:41:00.006-04:002011-09-19T15:12:42.544-04:00Techniques of Fiction: New Podcast & Workshop This Saturday at the Writer's CenterA new podcast went live this morning: "Techniques of Fiction: The #1 Technique in the Supersonic Overview"--- apropos of my one day workshop which will be held this Saturday, September 24th from 10 - 3 pm (includes a free hour for lunch on your own) at The Writer's Center in Bethesda, Maryland (just outside DC). To register on-line, and for more information about the Writers Center and this C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-49857515167986374992011-09-14T13:45:00.025-04:002011-09-14T14:42:03.649-04:00Guest-blogger Gerry Hadden on 5 Great Places to Visit that You'd Probably Never Find (and 5 links to learn something more)Gerry Hadden is the author of a book just out from HarperCollins that, as a long-time resident of Mexico City-- the very navel of the Americas, IMHO-- I am especially anxious to read: Never the Hope Itself. It's been garnering rave reviews, including from Publisher's Weekly, which calls it, "Offbeat, gripping....It's the rare journalist who shows such a mystical bent, but Hadden's quirks and C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-4212371631615338522011-09-12T00:19:00.006-04:002011-09-13T03:18:20.981-04:00Francisco I. Madero by Stanley R. RossRe: The rightly famous and splendid biography by Stanley R. Ross, Francisco I. Madero: Apostle of Mexican Democracy. If you're interested in learning more about Mexico, put this on your short-list for reading ASAP. Originally published in 1955 by Columbia University Press, it is the first major biography to include original archival research as well as interviews with eyewitnesses, including C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-66186642760227879272011-09-07T15:03:00.010-04:002011-09-07T15:22:57.190-04:00Guest-Blogs on Wednesdays...Except when not. Alas, the one I'd hoped to post today didn't come through-- although already in line for next week, still-to-be-formatted, there's a fascinating guest-blog post from travel writer Gerry Hadden. So herewith, five of my favorite guest-blog posts (ask me tomorrow and I might make a different list):App designer Julia Sussner: 5 apps to explore for yourselfOrganizer Regina Leeds: 5 + C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-24110446916352183802011-09-05T00:01:00.010-04:002011-09-05T14:36:30.383-04:00New Podcast-- A Traveler in Mexico: A Rendezvous with Writer Rosemary SullivanJust uploaded a new podcast: my reading of my article for Inside Mexico, "A Traveler in Mexico: A Rendezvous with Writer Rosemary Sullivan." Sullivan is the author of Villa Air-Bel: WWII, Escape, and a House in Marseilles, a beautifully written and deeply researched work which tells the harrowing stories of several refugee artists, including many who came to Mexico. (Fans of Leonora Carrington, C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-59640126616662491992011-08-31T00:02:00.011-04:002011-08-31T10:58:36.316-04:00Guest-blogger Mare Cromwell on 5 Telephone Numbers that Have Emblazoned Themselves Across Our Cultural ConsciousnessI met Mare Cromwell, one of the most interesting writers I know, at the Maryland Writers Association's annual conference.* A master gardener, Cromwell is the author of an audaciously original book based on her interviews with a Cheokee Medicine Woman, a Death Row inmate, an Afghani Sufi Mystic, a Catholic, a Jew, and several praying kids: If I Gave You God's Phone Number... Searching for C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-74832794707343621852011-08-29T15:05:00.021-04:002011-08-30T13:34:53.061-04:00Links Noted: Katrina in Vermont, Mrs Easton, Richard Goodman, Pix of Pyongyang, BibliOdyssey, and MoreJust back from Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Their very interesting Historical Museum has just moved into spiffy new digs.
James Howard Kunstler's blog, Clusterf*ck Nation
Check out what he has to say about Katrina in Vermont
Mrs Easton
Industrial design blog
Richard Goodman's Bicycle Diaries in the New York Times
P.S. Read Goodman's guest-blog post for Madam Mayo.
Design Your Own Cat Tree
BecauseC.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-57846746680506677852011-08-24T07:28:00.019-04:002011-08-25T02:58:07.426-04:00Guest-Blogger App Designer Julia Sussner on 5 Fabulous Apps To Explore for YourselfMy amiga Julia Sussner is a never-ending inspiration to me. Fresh out of grad school (Cambridge University) with a degree in narrative architecture, she set up her own Palo Alto, California-based company, Parsing Place, and started producing wonderfully original apps and ebooks, among them, the series of Impressionist Paris Walking Tours and, with Katarina Sussner, the children's book Chubby C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-49604964296819550882011-08-22T00:46:00.009-04:002011-08-22T01:23:40.857-04:00The Beekeeper's Lament by Hannah NordhausHere's one for my top 10 books read list 2011: the beautifully told The Beekeeper's Lament by Hannah Nordhaus. Think of it as an update (circa the Apocalypse) to Douglas Whynott's Following the Bloom.
Read Nordhaus' interview with The Millions here.
(I think we need to change the way we think about honey: it shouldn't be marketed so much as a commodity as an artesanal product, like wine. We C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-55395561555960983562011-08-17T23:05:00.011-04:002011-08-19T16:14:00.818-04:00Guest-Blog Wednesday: 5 + 1 Guest-Blog Posts for a European TourIf you've been following this blog you know I blog more often about Mexico than any place else. But horizons do expand and more than occasionally, in part, and with heart-felt thanks, to my guest-bloggers. This week's guest-blog post, by Berlinica's Dr Eva C. Schweitzer about the Berlin Wall, ran earlier than usual because last Saturday was the 50th (ayyy) anniversary of the building of the wall.C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-44816946028618254262011-08-15T23:52:00.000-04:002011-08-19T12:05:20.954-04:00French Feast: A Traveler's Literary Companion, edited by William RodamorOne of the loveliest things about having published Mexico: A Traveler's Literary Companion with Whereabouts Press is that I get to hear right away about their new titles. The latest is a fresh departure from the standard collection of fiction and literary prose as a portrait of the country (e.g., Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Ireland, Australia, France, Isreal, etc): French Feast. From the press C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-18984693784105645122011-08-13T00:01:00.022-04:002011-08-15T04:48:37.192-04:00On the 50th Anniversary of the Building of the Berlin Wall: Guest-blogger Eva C. Schweitzer on 5 Links to Learn More about the Berlin WallI must be getting old but it really does seem like yesterday that I walked into my office and, from a tinny radio, heard the first absolutely astonishing news about the fall of the Berlin Wall. For those of us born in the early 60s, the Berlin Wall, had seemed a feature of the European landscape as immovable as any mountain-- and then, in a blink, it was smashed to rubble and carted off, in part,C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-57121571475646998202011-08-10T00:01:00.025-04:002011-08-10T19:46:45.496-04:00Guest-blogger Sam Quinones on 5 Books of True TalesIt's a very special honor to host Sam Quinones this Wednesday because he is one of the writers I most admire. Some years ago, I gave his book True Tales from Another Mexico a heart-felt rave review in the Wilson Quarterly. Later, when his collection Antonio's Gun and Delfino's Dream came out, I placed it on my top 10 list for 2007. Quinones writes about Mexico and Mexican immigrants, and with C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-62985493421654954922011-08-08T01:22:00.024-04:002011-08-08T13:14:34.698-04:00My Excellent (If Occasionally Head-Banging) E-Book AdventureWhat do best-selling historical novelist Sandra Gulland, marketing guru Seth Godin, genre-writer Joe Konrath, spirituality writer Mare Cromwell, goddess and tarot expert Kris Waldherr, and Kevin (What Technology Wants) Kelly have in common? They've all made a foray into the swashbuckling and glitch-ridden landscape of self-publishing e-books. Add Yours Truly to the growing list. No, I have not C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-1389409960523257752011-08-03T12:43:00.012-04:002011-08-03T13:25:52.074-04:00Guest-Blog Wednesday: Richard Jeffrey Newman, Alexandra van de Kamp, Regina Leeds, Susan Coll, Dylan LandisOn Wednesdays I usually post a guest-blog by, usually, another writer with a new book out. The guidelines, which most of them manage to follow, call for a "5 link format"-- that is, 5 recommended links that are in some way relevant to their new book. I love learning more about the books, websites, movies, and museums other writers recommend, and I think that you, dear reader, will too. There's noC.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-68623883640410849572011-08-02T23:11:00.002-04:002011-08-03T18:28:03.645-04:00Joan Haslip's The Crown of MexicoUpdate on my other blog, Maximilian ~ Carlota, for researchers, both serious and armchair, of Mexico's Second Empire, the tumultuous period also known as the French Intervention.C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-51841166505562561502011-08-01T01:38:00.009-04:002011-08-02T19:15:56.965-04:00Art, Life and UFOs: A Memoir by Budd HopkinsImagine if your dentist also enjoyed an international career as a leading shoe designer, or say, your neighbor the Hip-Hop star turned out be, by day, an high-level insurance executive. Those are just a couple of the bizarre analogies that come to mind when I think of Budd Hopkins's tandem careers as a world-class abstract expressionist, palling around New York City with Motherwell, Kline, RothkoC.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-63062787449189589182011-07-28T16:18:00.009-04:002011-07-28T16:54:00.542-04:00Like People You See in a Dream: An Excerpt from Miraculous Air About San IgnacioThe latest podcast is live: my reading of an excerpt from Miraculous Air: Journey of a Thousand Miles through Baja California, the Other Mexico (Milkweed Editions paperback; Dancing Chiva e-book). It's from an excerpt from the chapter about the Jesuit missions and San Ignacio, in the center of the peninsula. (Approximately 28 minutes.)The e-book edition of Miraculous Air should be up on Kindle byC.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-46781646291967716832011-07-28T00:03:00.012-04:002011-07-28T01:34:36.531-04:00Mexico City Melissa Garden and Las Azoteas de la Ciudad de MéxicoIt's the rainy season; almost every afternoon we get drenched. In the sunny mornings, the bees have been happily sipping at the lavender, but I couldn't find any on this rainy afternoon. Picadou (pug) stayed inside, cozy in her bed. (Acapulco it ain't.)Here's another view, from the door, with the Ajusco in the distance.What's a melissa garden? It is a honeybee and pollinator sanctuary. Click C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-59702268249053291142011-07-26T14:15:00.008-04:002011-07-26T21:34:45.428-04:00The Emperor's Little PearsOver at my other blog, Maximilian ~ Carlota, where I share research on Mexico's Second Empire, the tumultuous period also known as the French Intervention, a story from San Miguel de Allende.Thanks to "greenfinger" at MorgueFile.com for the picture of the pears.More anon.C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-49293790990274008892011-07-25T20:32:00.010-04:002011-07-25T21:10:58.728-04:00Niño Fidencio: De Roma a EspinazoAs part of my research for the introduction to my translation of Francisco I. Madero's Spiritist Manual (forthcoming this November), I've been reading widely and watching documentaries about Spiritism in Mexico. One documentary I can recommend is the fascinating "Niño Fidencio: De Roma a Espinazo" which can be seen in its entirely, with English subtitles, at this link:http://C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-20314842412032094522011-07-25T17:17:00.003-04:002011-07-25T17:22:25.546-04:00Interview by Jada Bradley for InReads.com... in which I talk about Dancing Chiva and bringing some of my books into digital editions. Read the interview here. More interviews about Dancing Chiva Literary Arts here.More anon.C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-77827001779930148492011-07-25T00:02:00.004-04:002011-07-25T00:02:00.566-04:00First Newsletter Out via MailChimpMailchimp seems to be a very popular e-mail newsletter service, and I can see why. It's playful, easy to use, and inexpensive, in fact, free up to a very large number of emails. I just wrangled my way around it and sent out my first-- July 2011-- newsletter, covering news about my books, forthcoming works, podcasts, videos, articles, events, and writing workshops. I also included a free 50+ page C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-57073228286936482592011-07-20T00:07:00.013-04:002011-07-20T11:44:34.063-04:00Guest-Blogger Eric D. Goodman 5 Train Stories Worth RidingGuest-blogging this Wednesday is my fellow Maryland Writers Association member Eric D. Goodman, who has a new book out, Tracks: A Novel in Stories, set on a train traveling from Baltimore to Chicago. It has been garnering effusive praise, including from Madison Smartt Bell who calls it "a most cunningly crafted tale-- a perfect read for trains, planes, and automobiles... or even your armchair." C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-815505103556583272011-07-19T11:11:00.004-04:002011-07-19T11:17:36.975-04:00Dancing Chiva's Maximiliana, Richard Salvucci on How Google Disprespected Mexican History, and Catherine Clinton on Mary ChesnutUPDATE over at my other blog, Maximilian ~ Carlota, where I share my research on Mexico's Second Empire / French Intervention of the 1860s: This blog has been quiet lately because I've been preparing the launch this fall of several e-books, including a few works of Maximiliana, and the e-book of my novel in Spanish translation, El último príncipe del Imperio Mexicano. (View the complete catalog C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-44051686433848633592011-07-18T00:26:00.000-04:002011-07-18T01:24:44.309-04:00Podcasts for WritersMy podcasts for writers are now on their own reorganized webpage here. Download them for free on podomatic or itunes. No workshop this summer, but on September 24 I'll be offering a one day workshop on "Techniques of Fiction" at the Writer's Center in Bethesda MD (near Washington DC) and in February 2012, for the San Miguel Writers Workshops, a two day, more in-depth workshop on the same. For C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-69166629582849070962011-07-13T11:25:00.007-04:002011-07-13T13:36:59.952-04:00How Google Disrespected Mexican HistoryJust out: a profoundly important article by historian Richard J. Salvucci, about what happened to one of the priceless treasures of Mexican archives. It should make us question the easy assumptions that digitalizing documents and books saves them for eternity, and so cheaply (a big argument thse days for cash-strapped libraries). Digitalization is more fragile, for both technical and economic C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-86684744002333229822011-07-12T04:43:00.006-04:002011-07-12T05:29:59.763-04:00At Play in the Fields of Keynote: On Designing Dancing Chiva's E-Book Covers So what's Dancing Chiva? It's a company I set up a few years ago to do writing workshops, and recently expanded into publishing. Like many writers whose book contracts of yore left them the digital rights, I am bringing some of my already published books into new life as e-books. But with Dancing Chiva I am also publishing some new works as e-books, for example, a collection of blog posts on C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-25452202797519820162011-07-11T17:29:00.003-04:002011-07-11T17:34:13.574-04:00Monday Mini-MeditationTrust me, when you watch this, you will feel infinitely better. (Make sure the volume is on.)More anon.C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-25790162832469076382011-07-07T20:47:00.007-04:002011-07-07T21:07:09.289-04:00San Miguel Writers Conference February 2012 in San Miguel de Allende, MexicoI'm teaching the two day only "Techniques of Fiction" workshop this time. Click here for more information.My other workshops for 2011 and 2012 are listed on my workshop schedule. It's a bit sparse this year, as I'm working on a new novel (when that will be ready only the Muses know) and the prologue to Madero's Spiritist Manual, which comes out this November. Get my free e-book C.M. Mayo on C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-85753455342434767822011-07-06T00:04:00.005-04:002011-07-07T20:01:33.948-04:00Beautiful Faces: A Documentary by Russell Martin, Coming SoonFilming now in Mexico City. Watch the fascinating trailer:http://www.beautifulfacesfilm.comC.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-47725697383448183402011-07-04T07:39:00.007-04:002011-07-07T19:54:11.199-04:00Language Overlay: A Technique of FictionContinuing the series of an every other week-ish post on creative writing:One of the simplest and yet most effective techniques of fiction is "langage overlay." I first learned about this from the Canadian novelist Douglas Glover. In his essay, "The Novel as Poem," (in Notes Home from a Prodigal Son, Oberon, 1999), Glover talks about how he dramatically improved the original draft of his first C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-68303760850034155272011-06-30T23:21:00.006-04:002011-07-06T02:33:08.848-04:00La Giganta y GuadalupeAn absolutely beautiful and crucial book about the volcanic spine of Mexico's nearly one thousand mile-long peninsula.Published by Planeta Peninsula / Niaparaja ACISBN 978-607-95007-1-9Fotografía de Miguel Angel de la Cueva y textos de Bruce Berger y Exequiel Ezcurra.UPDATES:>>Webpage for Fundación Wild >>Center for a Better Life article. Planeta Península A.C.www.miguelangeldelacueva.comC.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-12085822291623784212011-06-29T23:26:00.002-04:002011-06-30T20:45:48.807-04:00Blogs Noted: Gene Logdson, Full Cry, Cute Overload, Global Swarming Honey Bees, Delia Lloyd, Mexico Cooks!Gene Logsdon, "Archeology Not Agriculture Teaches Good Agriculture"By the author of the greatest read of 2011, Holy Sh*t. I am not kidding.Full Cry: The Hounds of Beagle HouseDelightfully writerly descriptions of a bunch of, yeah, hounds. Not for those who want to save the foxes.Cute Overload Ceiling CatA brief, wierd video. Good if your Prozac dose is a little low today. (Why take Prozac at all C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-2562765331548838412011-06-27T00:45:00.018-04:002011-06-27T12:18:03.419-04:00Weekend with the GoatsKind of a bizarrely fun way to spend the weekend: using Apple's Keynote program, I'm putting together a YouTube thingamajig about the cover design for the e-books I'm publishing with Dancing Chiva Literary Arts (the mascot is a little goat), and gee, neet-o, I figured out how to make the little goats dance along the website URL. This actually became extremely absorbing. I had seven of them doing C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-77403228278578827542011-06-22T22:29:00.020-04:002011-06-23T03:55:45.753-04:00Book Promotion, Book Trailers, and (shazam!!) Carolyn Parkhurst's Trailer for The Nobodies AlbumI've begun work, at last, seriously, on a couple of new books, but the question of book promotion continues to amuse, fascinate, and consternate me. In part this is because I have come to realize, both from my own experience having published several books, and from seeing that of friends and students, that book promotion is a Mt Everest of a hurdle, emotionally, psychologically, and even C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-43042412573370341272011-06-20T00:01:00.008-04:002011-06-20T00:01:01.046-04:00Podcasts for WritersNew on my writing workshop page: podcasts for writers. To date these include:On Decluttering Your Writing or, Respecting the Integrity of Narrative Design: The Interior Decoration AnalogyMy answer to the inevitable first question in my writing workshops. From the series on creative writing here on the "Madam Mayo" blog. (About 7 minutes.)"Twelve Tips to Help You Hang in There and Finish Your C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-17494706982565497392011-06-15T21:26:00.025-04:002011-06-20T01:53:04.974-04:00Mary Lutyens: To Be YoungRarely have I read anything so exquisite that has also made me laugh out loud so many times as Mary Lutyens' memoir, To Be Young. Alas, I have to agree with the author that her editor was quite wrong; the better title would have been From Maryb to Mushe (read it to find out why; this scrap of a blog post couldn't begin to explain). I read it as part of my research, very round about, for writing C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-86252094946802551892011-06-13T17:07:00.014-04:002011-06-16T00:54:56.215-04:00The Arc of Writerly ActionLast Saturday I gave a talk on writing historical fiction at the annual American Independent Writers Association, held this year at the Writer's Center in Bethesda, MD, just outside Washington DC. It was great fun-- and an honor-- to sit on a panel with such fine writers as David Taylor (moderator), Barbara Esstman, author of the novel The Other Anna, and Natalie Wexler, author of A More ObedientC.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-72585297063069446342011-06-06T01:32:00.013-04:002011-06-06T02:20:30.482-04:00Monday MiscellaneaThe Astral Plane by C.W. LeadbeaterAnd so many more once very rare and now free ebooks at Project GutenbergBook xylophoneA charmingly energetic image of the Apocalypse."When the Nile Runs Dry" by Lester R. Brown, NYTThis brings to mind some of what happened under Mexico's "Porfiriato" (late 19th c up through the 1910 Revolution). "Emerging Economies Are Ready to Lead" by Agustin Carstens, C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-27810690285473041552011-06-02T23:56:00.002-04:002011-06-03T15:18:35.855-04:00Mexico City Miscellanea: Links Apropos of an Ongoing ConversationA most fascinating conversation this morning in Mexico City, apropos of which, this batch of links (some for me, some for my friend, and all for you):Agustín Cadena "Por qué leo"Brief, brilliant. I wish people who didn't read books would at least read this one page (ish) essay. Then they'd read books. And then they'd be happier. (It's in Spanish. I'm almost finished translating it into English.)C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-59013855577008272812011-06-01T02:00:00.017-04:002011-06-01T20:17:35.016-04:00Susan Coll's 5 Favorite Comic NovelsThe best novelists are sociologists with a wicked sense of humor. In her widely celebrated novels Beach Week, Acceptance, and Rockville Pike, my amiga Susan Coll has upward-striving suburbia nailed. This month Picador has released the paperback edition of Beach Week, so click on through and get your chuckles. Here's what this master of the genre has to say about some of her own comic reading. C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-60068382561440539172011-05-31T01:52:00.000-04:002011-06-01T01:56:02.290-04:00On Royalty by Jeremy PaxmanWhen I present my novel The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire, one of the inevitable questions I get is, how long did it take you to write it? It took over a decade, on-and-off, and according to my best calculations, full-time, about seven years. Why so long? Apart from actually writing it, I had to do the mountainous reading to even begin to make sense of 19th century Mexico and the French C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-85905543808060915122011-05-30T23:38:00.001-04:002011-10-15T12:07:41.136-04:00Spiritist Manual by Bhima (Francisco I. Madero)My translation, the first into English, of Madero's Spiritist Manual is in the final polishing stages; meanwhile, here's the cover for the forthcoming e-book which will be published by Dancing Chiva later this year. The cover incorporates the painting "Gerbera and Eye" by San Miguel de Allende-based artist Kelley Vandiver.Want the news? I'll be sending out my newsletter soon. Sign up here. UPDATEC.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-60164492421787746362011-05-25T10:32:00.002-04:002011-05-25T17:51:49.932-04:00El último príncipe del Imperio Mexicano, Book Presentation in Mexico's National Palace, Part of the Cultural Events SeriesThe splendid translation by Mexican novelist and poet Agustín Cadena of my novel The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire (Unbridled Books), as El último príncipe del Imperio Mexicano (Grijalbo Random House Mondadori), will be presented this Thursday, May 26 at 7 pm in Mexico's National Palace, as part of SHCP's (Mexican Ministry of Finance's) excellent series of cultural events. (For those of you C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-56685956151810065502011-05-23T23:51:00.001-04:002011-05-24T02:53:38.158-04:002011 American Independent Writers ConferenceI'll be participating on a panel about historical fiction in the Washington Writer’s Conference, sponsored by the American Independent Writers Aasociation (AIW) and The Writer’s Center, at the Writer’s Center, 4508 Walsh Street, Bethesda, MD 20815Saturday, June 11, 2011 from 9 a.m. to: 6:30 p.m.Morning Sessions: Session I: Literary Agents Roundtable - covering both the nonfiction and fiction C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-71743543262966667172011-05-22T01:44:00.002-04:002011-10-15T12:11:29.328-04:00The Spiritist Manual by Bhima (Francisco I. Madero)Today I finished the draft of my translation-- the first into English-- of the very unsual little book by Mexico's President and leader of its 1910 Revolution, Francisco I. Madero. This is the famous Manual Espírita, or Spiritist Manual, published in 1911 under the pseudonym "Bhima," after a character in The Bhagavadgita. The translation, with my introduction and notes, will be published this C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-66465472668138427232011-05-18T12:13:00.011-04:002011-05-19T11:58:59.356-04:00Guest-blogger Wednesday: Mexico, Mexico, and More MexicoWednesdays is the day for the guest-blog post here at Madam Mayo, but this week, some appreciation: herewith, from the archive, some favorite Mexico-related posts:Michael Hogan on the Irish Soldiers of MexicoJane "Mexico Guru" Onstott on 5 Mexican Idioms That Don't Mean What You ThinkRussell M. Cluff, Remembering Sor Juana Inés de la CruzNicholas Gilman, 5 Funky Foods and Where to Find Them in C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-55082440506712301292011-05-16T07:32:00.002-04:002011-05-16T12:56:50.646-04:00Ten Juicy Books on Creative ProcessWhy reinvent the wheel? If you're feeling challenged in your creative endeavors (good old-fashioned block?) some excellent advice and guidance can be found in an ever-expanding library's worth of books on, precisely, creativity. Herewith, my top ten picks:Burnham, Sophy, The Art of IntuitionAn in-depth overview of intuitive methods and experiences from a leading mystic and literary novelist.Baum,C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-88450782216062173252011-05-11T12:43:00.010-04:002011-05-11T13:17:00.026-04:00Shampa Sinha Writing on on RumaniaWednesdays is the day for the guest-blog post here on Madam Mayo, but this week, something a little different: a link to "Bucharest and Beyond," Shampa Sinha's article for The Australian. It's an intriguing peek into place undergoing almost unthinkable change, and I'm especially delighted to share this link, for Shampa Sinha was, oh so long ago at the Writer's Center, one of my travel writing C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-83164186440482300782011-05-09T00:12:00.000-04:002011-05-09T00:25:26.628-04:00E-mailed Newsletters: 6 Yucky No Nos, 6 Dos, and 6 + 2 Newsletters I Relish ReceivingSo now in the explode-o-rama of our Digital Age, the cutting-edge thing is for authors, artists, publishers, charities & etc. to engage in "permission marketing"-- that is, getting people who are interested in one's "product" to pony up an e-mail address, and then send them a newsletter. This works, sometimes. But mostly, because it's not well done, it's annoying.When it works, though, it's C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-7801133258035152032011-05-05T23:59:00.000-04:002011-05-05T23:59:00.174-04:00C.M. Mayo on Creative Writing: The Best from the BlogYou'll find a cornucopia of tips on craft, process, and publishing in this approximately 50 page e-book , a selection of my blog posts on creative writing here at Madam Mayo. It's a PDF download, free to anyone who signs up for the Dancing Chiva Literary Arts Club (also free-- read all about it here). I founded Dancing Chiva Literary Arts a few years ago for my writing workshops in Mexico City; C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-40749807234799700652011-05-04T21:59:00.014-04:002011-05-05T13:28:03.724-04:00Guest-blogger Richard Newman on 5 Sites to Learn More About the ShahnamehWas it at the Associated Writers Programs conference or the American Literary Translators Association conference where I met Richard Jeffrey Newman? Or both? It has faded into the misty recesses of my ever-addled memory, but I do recall a sparkling conversation about translation. My own specialty is contemporary Mexican fiction and poetry; Richard's is much more daunting: Persian. I have more C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-47008179191032730832011-05-02T07:59:00.003-04:002011-05-02T07:59:00.183-04:00Podcasting Update: Podomatic and iTunesNow listening to my podcasts is much easier: I just upgraded my page at Podomatic.com to grab some more bandwidth-- and, as ever, you can also listen in via iTunes. The latest podcast is my reading of the prologue to the anthology of 24 Mexican writers, Mexico: A Traveler's Literary Companion (Whereabouts Press). More recent podcasts: "Hell, I Knew It Was Paradise," about Bob Van Wormer, the C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-19244949982223929452011-04-28T07:43:00.001-04:002011-04-28T16:52:30.036-04:00Llama Font: Because It's True, Lamas Make Everything BetterVia Swiss Miss, behold: Llama Font. Here is Dancing Chiva (my publishing co, which specializes in e-books and limited editions on Bajacaliforniana, Maximiliana, and works for writers) in llama font:Why llama font? Click here to see how it makes everything better.P.S. Sign up for Dancing Chiva's bodacious newsletter here.More anon.C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-60702960040070195142011-04-27T01:18:00.014-04:002011-04-27T13:58:20.797-04:00Daniel A. Olivas: 5 Books for the Writing of the The Book of WantIt's guest-blogger Wednesday here at Madam Mayo, with Los Angeles-based novelist Daniel Olivas, who has just published a first novel-- though not his first book :The Book of Want (University of Arizona Press). It has been garnering some glowing praise, e.g., from Los Angeles Magazine: "Olivas’s brand of magical realism has a sense of humor about itself, and he succeeds in harnessing the genre’s C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-42950827625333650192011-04-25T07:21:00.008-04:002011-06-16T16:07:02.792-04:00On Decluttering Your Writing or, Respecting the Integrity of Narrative Design: The Interior Decoration AnalogyUPDATE: This blog post is now a podcast. Click here to listen now (approximately 7 minutes of listening time).A good novel is a kind of vivid dream or virtual reality, so when I teach writing workshops, I always begin with specificity: generating specific detail that appeals to the senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell. Inevitably, a hand goes up. Isn't this creating clutter? How do you C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-41862531886463116202011-04-21T17:38:00.005-04:002011-04-24T00:39:37.161-04:00Rosedale, the Historic Estate in Washington, D.C.UPDATE over at my other blog, Maximilian ~ Carlota, for researchers, both serious and "armchair," of Mexico's Second Empire, the tumultuous period also known as the French Intervention:Pictured here is my pug dog, Picadou, a little tuckered out after her walk at Rosedale, when we were visiting just the other day. Rosedale plays an important part in my novel, The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire,C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-24250764220949520402011-04-20T01:15:00.000-04:002011-04-20T01:21:53.854-04:00Guest-blogger Diane Saarinen on 5 Sassy and Well-Branded BlogsBrooklyn-based writer and blog tour specialist Diane Saarinen is someone whose praises I often sing, for she did a superb job helping coordinate the fall 2010 blog tour for the paperback edition of my novel, The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire. I've been blogging here at Madam Mayo for four years now, and though I've often blogged about other blogs and blogging as a literary genre, the C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-50885153508200508802011-04-18T19:04:00.002-04:002011-04-20T00:10:26.938-04:00Links Noted: Bill Cunningham, Ari Seth Cohen, Richard Newman, La extorción de MarcelaBill Cunningham New York: this has to be one of the strangest and yet sweetest and most inspiring documentaries I have ever seen. It makes me want to get out my orange scarf and ride a bicycle! It's a sophisticated film about a famously eccentric fashion photographer, but it's an exploration in wonder, and seeing the beauty in humanity. How many stars does this one get? Why, the whole Milky C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-85648645763965451362011-04-13T05:33:00.000-04:002011-04-12T13:54:22.726-04:00Guest-blogger Teresa Nicholas: 5 Links About Buryin' DaddyWhat a thrill it was to hear that one of my workshop participants (from San Miguel Workshops in San Miguel de Allende) has just brought out her book. She introduces it better than I can so--over to you, Teresa!My memoir, Buryin’ Daddy: Putting My Lebanese, Catholic, Southern Baptist Childhood to Rest, which I worked on for eight years, has just published from the University Press of Mississippi, C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-37668186022541975822011-04-12T14:05:00.002-04:002011-04-12T14:08:58.292-04:00On the Death of Maximilian: A Translation from the HungarianOver at my other blog, Maximilian ~ Carlota, where I share my research on Mexico's Second Empire, a tumultuous period also known as the French Intervention, the Tuesday update:An eyewitness memoir by Dr Szender Ede, who served with the French in Mexico from 1865, and later had quite a bit to do with the aftermath, was published in a Hungarian newspaper in 1876, and has been translated into C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-47436153486510045382011-04-11T18:47:00.006-04:002011-04-11T22:33:00.496-04:00México Lindo y Querido, Flashmob in QuerétaroMy amiga the writer Araceli Ardón sends me this message about a video, with the volunteer work of some 100 singers and artists, filmed the other day in Chucho el Roto, the famous restaurant in Querétaro, Mexico:Queridísimos amigos:Grabamos este video en la Plaza de Armas de Querétaro, con los clientes habituales del restaurante Chucho el Roto (que desconocían el evento) y algunos invitados de losC.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-27280171458157501462011-04-11T06:27:00.003-04:002011-04-11T22:37:11.521-04:00Flavor / Aroma WheelsI'm surprised to learn that flavor /aroma wheels are a fairly recent invention. What is a flavor wheel? A way of finding your way to the precise words for what you smell and taste. As far as I can ascertain, it was a professor at UC Davis, Ann Noble, who came up with the first aroma wheel, for wine. Watch her brief video introduction to the wine aroma wheel here. As a writer, I am enchanted at C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-22779855486468285512011-04-07T07:33:00.011-04:002011-04-11T16:39:15.917-04:00Links Noted: Mexico, Books, Wheat, Peewee Herman, Margaret Atwood on the AnchoviesMargaret Atwood is ablogging. Why the anchovies are restless: her keynote speech for Tools of Change 2011, available as a free video, is well worth watching. Rachael Laudan offers some context on wheat.Borderland Beat. Like the title says.Jose Padua at Shendandoah Breakdown. And more along the lines of Mondo Barbie: Rick Peabody and Life in the Trenches by DC Poet & King of Iota, Miles David C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25168748.post-11536274172925396622011-04-05T12:59:00.000-04:002011-04-06T05:02:52.494-04:00Carlota's PianoThe Tuesday update is up over at Maximilian ~ Carlota, my blog for researchers, both serious and "armchair," of Mexico's Second Empire, the tumultuous period also known as the "French Intervention." Carlota's Piano:So far readers have alerted me to a crystal flute, a saddle, a set of mirrors, and a diamond ring-- and now, Carlota's piano. A fun connection: writer John Randolph Bennett was C.M. Mayohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652658684711290919noreply@blogger.com0