Nieman Storyboard: Tom Schroder, former Washington Post Magazine editor, on dinner plates and well-done narrative

For anyone interested in journalism and creative nonfiction: a fascinating interview. (P.S. What he says about the zuccini piece is true.) More anon.

Texas Book Festival: C.M. Mayo, Luis Alberto Urrea, Jimmy Santiago Baca, Barbara Renaud Gonzalez

November 1, 2009 Austin, Texas
Texas Book Festival
2:00 - 3:00 pm
Imagination Sin Fronteras: Four Novelists Wrestle with Mexico
with Jimmy Santiago Baca, Barbara Renaud Gonzalez, C.M. Mayo, and Luis Alberto Urrea
Moderator: Katherine Durham Oldmixon .


I'll be talking about my latest book, a novel, The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire, which is set in 19th century Mexico during Mexico's transnational trauma: the Second Empire or French Intervention. If I have time, I may also talk a bit about some of the far corners of Mexico's Baja California peninsula and the people there (which I wrote about in Miraculous Air) and my anthology of 24 Mexican writers, Mexico: A Traveler's Literary Companion.

More anon.

Comments

After 3 years, I'm back to allowing comments. Comments?

Update 2015: Nope, not on the blog. But you can always write to me here.

Roselind Reisner On Five Writers Talking About their Books

From left to right: Rosalind Reisner (co-moderator), C.M. Mayo, Julie Metz, Eva Hoffman, Christina Baker Kline, Roxana Robinson, and Miriam Tuliao (co-moderator).

Over at her excellent blog, "A Reader's Place," Rosalind Reisner gives the full report on the recent Womens National Book Association panel in celebration of National Reading Group Month. She includes a note about my novel, The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire, as well as new works by Roxana Robinson (Cost), Eva Hoffman (Apassionata), Julie Metz (Perfection), and Christina Baker-Kline (Bird in Hand). It was an honor and a delight to participate. More anon.

UPDATE: And here's what Marian Schembari has to say about this extraordinary evening over at Marian Librarian.

Twitter Is

"Twitter Is," my essay on twitter which was published in the summer 2009 issue of Literal, is now (with blessings of the editor, Rose Mary Salum), on-line here. (Will tweet now!)

Thanks to:
@trhummer Twitter is an aphorism machine.
@HollyridgePress Twitter is a glittering sunrise with our books in the clouds.
@mdemuth Twitter is a confined space I can hang one hat of words upon.
@Sandra_Gulland Twitter is "poetry of the mundane" @ChetG, Page Six magazine.
@lisaborders Twitter is a message in a bottle that sometimes gets answered.

More anon.
P.S. Follow me on twitter @madammayo (for this blog) and @cmmayo1

Techniques of Fiction Workshop in San Miguel de Allende, February 22-23, 2010

This February 22-23, 2010, I'll be giving a two day only workshop, Techniques of Fiction, for the San Miguel Workshops in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. This is a workshop intended for both beginning and advanced fiction writers. For a full description and registration information, visit: http://www.sanmiguelworkshops.com/Fiction.html More anon.

ASCENT: How to Be a Good Neighbor by Dawn Marano

The venerable literary journal Ascent (edited by W. Scott Olsen) is publishing it's first on-line edition. Check it out-- and Dawn Marano's crackerjack essay of creative nonfiction, "How to Be a Good Neighbor." More anon.

Reading Groups: A Panel Discussion for the Womens National Book Association NY October 21 New York City

October 21, 2009, New York City
6 - 9 pm.
A Panel Discussion in Celebration of National Reading Group Month
Women’s National Book Association, NYC ChapterWNBA–NYC at the Mint Theater
311 W. 43rd Street, Suite 307, New York NY
Moderators:
Rosalind Reisner (Read On . . . Life Stories and Jewish American Literature, Libraries Unlimited)
Miriam Tuliao (Assistant Director, Central Collection Development at New York Public Library)

Authors
Eva Hoffman (Appassionata, Other Press)
C.M. Mayo (The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire, Unbridled Books)
Julie Metz (Perfection: A Memoir of Betrayal and Renewal, Hyperion/Voice)
Anne Roiphe (Epilogue, Harper Perennial)
Roxana Robinson (Cost, Picador)

Members and friends welcome! Admission free for paid-up members; $20 for nonmembers. RSVP required to programs@wnba-nyc.org

The Vook

I knew this was coming. Hmmm. Much to contemplate. More anon.

Joan Gelfand on Book Groups at Huffington Post

Womens National Book Association President, Joan Gelfand, writing on book groups over at the Huffington Post.

The Absence of a Heart Leaves an Hourglass Shape by Christine Boyka Kluge

This is amazing: click here to view (and hear) the poetry. The poet has more to say about it here.

Save the Date, October 18th @ The Historical Society of Washington D.C.

Washington DC (and Cleveland Park and Georgetown) history buffs take note:

October 18, 2009 Washington DC
Historical Society of Washington DC
C.M. Mayo on The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire, a novel based on the true (and suprisingly Washingtonian) story

Sunday Afternoon Author Series

---> 2:30 pm (please note time, has changed) <---

801 K St NW at Mount Vernon Square, Washington DC 20001

Free and open to the public
www.historydc.org

Who knew that Mexico once had a half-American prince? Or that this little boy’s future was hotly debated not just in Mexico but in Washington D.C. and in every court in Europe? Set in the mid-19th century when Maximilian von Habsburg was Emperor of Mexico, C.M. Mayo's novel The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire is based on the true and never before completely told story about a half-American, half-Mexican boy who, as in a fairytale, became a prince and then a pawn in the struggle-to-the-death over Mexico's destiny.

Published by Unbridled Books this May, The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire has already received numerous glowing reviews, including from Publisher's Weekly, Latin American Review of Books, the Austin American-Statesman, Mexico Connect, and Library Journal, which said, "Mayo’s cultural insights are first-rate, and the glittering, doomed regime comes to life."

This novel incorporates original research into what is also a very Washingtonian story, for the prince's mother was from a prominent Washington family, and his father, Angel de Iturbide, second son of Mexico's first deposed emperor, Agustín de Iturbide, had come to Georgetown in Washington DC as a young boy and eventually served as the Mexican legation's secretary.

C.M. Mayo will present the novel and discuss the story behind the story of Mexico's last prince, a descendant not only of an emperor of Mexico, but of an old Washingtonian family, and why it has been obscured for more than 100 years.

Read more at http://www.cmmayo.com/last-prince-of-the-mexican-empire.html

More anon.

So Would You Be Willing to Publish "The Long Sad Summer of Our Hot Forsaken Love" by Lachryma Duct?

Or, to quote Daniel Menaker, "Nuke Anbar Province, and I Mean Now!," by Generalissimo Macho Picchu? Check out his informative and thoughtful essay on the editing profession today over at the Barnes and Noble Review.
More anon.

Madam Mayo Recommends: Pyramid Atlantic Art Center to Feature Ghostly Poems and Stories

“Ghosts, Goblins and Shadows: A Halloween Reading of Poetry and Fiction” will be presented at the Pyramid Atlantic Art Center in Silver Spring on Thursday, October 15, from 7-9 p.m. Authors Kim Roberts, Cynthia Atkins, Lesley Wheeler and Laura Brodie with gather to share writings tuned to the season. The reading is free and open to the public. The Pyramid Atlantic Art Center is located at 8230 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD, www.pyramid-atlantic.org. More anon.

La Bloga: Capturing the Moment at Tia Chucha's Cafe Cultural

Daniel Olivas's Monday column-- check it out.

National Book Critics Circle Blog's Small Press Spotlight: C.M. Mayo Interviewed by Rigoberto Gonzalez

Just posted over at the National Book Critics Circle blog: an interview with Yours Truly by poet, writer, and book reviewer, Rigoberto Gonzalez. Gracias Rigoberto, I am honored.

P.S. I'll be talking about the surprising Washington history behind the true story of Mexico's last prince this October 18th at 2:30 pm at the Historical Society of Washington DC. More info at www.cmmayo.com/events.html and www.historydc.org

In Memoriam: Charles East (1924-2009)

A splendid writer and editor, Charles East, has died. The University of Georgia Press blog has his brief obituary here, with links to more. More anon.

Update: LSU Press Blog on Charles East.

Dylan Landis @ Politics & Prose October 11

If you're anywhere near DC, be sure to attend Dylan Landis' book launch for Normal People Don't Live Like This at Politics & Prose this Sunday @ 1 pm. P.S. Check out her guest-blog post for Madam Mayo, "Five Magnetic Spaces."

More anon.

Difficult Beauty: Readings Oct 10 and Oct 11

I won't be in town, alas, but highly recommend both events:

Sat., Oct. 10, 3:00 -- Arlington Central Library
Central Library Auditorium, 1015 North Quincy Street, Arlington, VA 22201
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Argentine poet Luis Alberto Ambroggio and his translator, Yvette Neisser Moreno, will read from Difficult Beauty: Selected Poems, and discuss the connection between bilingualism and identity. 703-228-5990.

Sun., Oct. 11, 6:00 – Iota Poetry Series
Iota Club and Café, 2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA (two blocks from Clarendon Metro).
Argentine poet Luis Alberto Ambroggio and poet/translator Yvette Neisser Moreno read from Difficult Beauty and other poems. Open reading to follow. Street and garage parking available. 703-256-9275. http://www.wordworksdc.com/

The First Annual Writers Ball in Washington DC

My amiga poet Brandel France de Bravo writes:

The date is fast approaching...don't drop the ball. Buy your ticket now at http://event.pingg.com/WritersBall You (and your ipod) are invited on October 17th from 8:00 to 11:00 pm to the first annual WRITERS BALL. Poets, journalists, novelists, playwrights, speechwriters, essayists, short-story writers, and friends of writers--you are all welcome! Join us in raising the roof and raising money for Washington Writers' Publishing House, a nonprofit, collective press celebrating its 35th year. WWPH is the only literary press in Washington, D.C. dedicated to publishing and promoting local writers. It has published over 80 books of poetry and fiction from some of Washington, D.C.'s best writers--many of them nationally recognized.

Texas Book Festival Schedule

The Texas Book Festival schedule has been posted.

November 1, 2009 Austin, Texas
Texas Book Festival
2:00 - 3:00
Imagination Sin Fronteras: Four Novelists Wrestle with Mexico
with Jimmy Santiago Baca, Barbara Renaud Gonzalez, C.M. Mayo, and Luis Alberto Urrea
Moderator: Katherine Durham Oldmixon

More anon.