Fab news for the book biz-- Washington DC has a new independent bookstore with a very special niche: international literature. With my dear amiga N., fellow Californian (so, I'm like, ohmygod, totally back in the groove), I just went over to Candida's World of Books the other day, and shook hands with the vivacious Candida herself. N. and I walked out with shopping bags full: books on DC, on Italy, on Rwanda, the hilarious The Meaning of Tingo, plus brightly colored luggage tags that said, for example, "you are not in Kansas anymore" (which about sums up the whole enchilada para mi). Candida's selection on India was also quite enticing... I'll be back sooner than soon, as I'm doing a reading and booksigning at Candida's this Thursday. Here's the announcement: "Mexico: A Travelers' Literary Companion" edited by C.M. Mayo
Mexico has long been the top travel destination for Americans. But until now, there has not been such a panoramic vision of Mexico offered by some of Mexico's finest contemporary writers of fiction and literary prose. Here are writings - many translated for the first time - that bring you to the people of the beaches, the deserts, jungles, mountains, and mega-cities.
The voices are rich and diverse, enthralling, and strange. These writings shatter stereotypes as they provide a rollicking journey from the Pacific to the Gulf, from Yucatán to the U.S.-Mexico border, from humble ranchos to a fabulous mountain-top castle.
Contributors include rising stars as well as many of Mexico's best-known writers, including Araceli Ardon, Ines Arredondo, Agustin Cadena, Julieta Campos, Rosario Castellanos, Martha Cerda, Ricardo Elizondo Elizondo, Laura Esquivel, Bruno Estanol, Carlos Fuentes, Jesus Gardea, Raymundo Hernandez-Gil, Monica Lavin, Guadalupe Loaeza, Angeles Mastretta, C.M. Mayo, Raul Mejia, Carlos Monsivais, Pedro Angel Palou, Fernando del Paso, Daniel Reveles, Alberto Ruy Sánchez, Ilan Stavans, and Juan Villoro.
The editor, C.M. Mayo, is the author of Sky Over El Nido (winner of the Flannery O'Connor Award for short fiction) and Miraculous Air: Journey of a Thousand Miles through Baja California, the Other Mexico. She is also founding editor of Tameme, one of the most prestigious publishers of Spanish/English translation.
C.M.Mayo at Candida's World of Books
June 15 at 6:30pm
for more info: Candida's World of Books
1541 14th Street, NW
tel. (202) 667-4811 Tue-Sat 10-10, Sun noon-8, closed Mondays
