Galeria Ida Victoria

Galeria Ida Victoria, San Jose del Cabo's most beautiful art gallery, has just re-opened. I was there on a morning week before last--- after the complete renovation, the tropical light seems even more sublime. The artwork is vibrant. If you're anywhere nearby, don't miss it. Check out the website at www.idavictoriaarts.com (I read from Miraculous Air here a couple of years ago. Here's a photo of Yours Truly and Bruce Berger (author of the enchanting Almost an Island) and Jim Tolbert, host and founder of Baja Books & Maps, in the old Galeria de Ida Victoria.)

Jaime Tolbert of Baja Books and Maps

My sister Alice was in San Jose del Cabo (Baja California Sur) last week, where she snapped this photo of Jaime Tolbert, founder of Baja Books and Maps. Check out their website and if you happen to be in town, their beautiful new bookstore. (Yes, they carry my titles, including Miraculous Air and Mexico: A Traveler's Literary Companion, and can ship within Mexico.)

Jim and Judy Tolbert's Baja Books & Maps in San Jose del Cabo

Just back from Jim and Judy Tolbert's splendid second annual all-day Baja Book Event--- readings (I read my translation of Araceli Ardon's story from Mexico: A Traveler's Literary Companion), book signings, and cheese-stuffed bacon-wrapped Medjool dates! This all took place on Sunday at the gorgeous, brand-spanking-new--- they had just painted the sign the day before--- Baja Books & Maps showroom, which is just outside San Jose del Cabo's downtown. The line-up included Yours Truly, Bruce Berger, Michael Mercer, Wendy Rudell, Garth Murphy, and Ed Vernon. The readings were in the palapa-shaded upstairs deck, overlooking the sea. Alas, at the end of the afternoon, I had to hit the highway La Paz and so missed Ed Vernon's slide show, but I have his magnificent book, "Las Misiones Antiguas"--- a photographic and written record of every single mission and several "visitas" on the nearly one thousand mile-long peninsula. This is truly a major contribution to the literature on Baja California. New books to read: Bruce Berger's Facing the Music, Garth Murphy's The Indian Lover, and Wendy Rudell's The Raw Transformation. Jim and Judy, you are bringing something very special to Los Cabos.

Shakespearean Juju & Baja California & Pure Sea Glass & BOMB

The novel... drafting the penultimate chapter... Maximilian goes to Orizaba and the question is, To go or not to go? To abdicate or not to abdicate? And these are not the same question because one could go and not abdicate... leaving a regency in place... There was a memento mori as well... not a skull, but a flintlock that had belonged to a conspirator who'd planned to assassinate him in Tlalpan. So, I was rereading Dr Basch's memoir about all of that when, lo, I came home, opened my e-mail and found a message from my long-lost very first editor, at Mexico City's El Inversionista magazine, newspaperman turned Mexico's Shakespeare expert, Martin Casillas de Alba. He's got a blog, too: Juego de espejos.

Judy Tolbert at Baja Books & Maps has the link up for the 2nd Annual Baja Book Event-- this is a big reading--- I go on at 12--- in their all new showroom in San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur. Here's a photo of Bruce Berger, Jim "Jaime" Tolbert, and Yours Truly at last year's reading.

Maribeth Fischer has announced the upcoming Writers at the Beach: Pure Sea Glass at Rehoboth Beach, Delware March 16-17th. I'll be on a couple of panels, giving a travel writing workshop, and a reading from Miraculous Air and Mexico: A Traveler's Literary Companion. This is a most unusual conference: it's got a great line-up of authors, including poet John Hoppenthaler, essayist Lisa Couturier, novelists Carolyn Parkhurst, and Leslie Pietrzyk, literary agent Candace Furman and the editor of Tin House magazine --- and it all benefits the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation.

BOMB: "The Americas Issue Border Crossing: Mexico & the US" winter 07, includes an interview w Margo Glantz in Mexico City by Alvaro Enrigue; poetry by Monica de la Torre, Coral Bracho, & many others. Plus photographs by Juan Rulfo. Wow.