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.