It’s the fifth Monday of the month, time for the newsletter. Since the last newsletter, it’s been a quiet time in the workshop & podcasting department (please note: Marfa Mondays will resume shortly). In case you missed them, recent blog posts include:
August 23, 2021 – Q & A:
Q & A with Lynne Sharon Schwartz About Crossing Borders
August 16, 2021
Trommelwirbel und Vorhang Auf! And a Bit About Adventures in Learning German
August 9, 2021 – WORKSHOP:
Writing More Vivid Descriptions (Start by Leaving the Smartphone Off)
August 2, 2021 – TEXAS BOOKS:
Texas Books / From the Archives: Claudio Saunt’s West of the Revolution
July 26, 2021 – Q & A:
From the Archives: Q & A with Mary S. Black on From the Frío to Del Río
July 19, 2021
My Interview About Francisco Madero a “Classic Reboot” on Jeffrey Mishlove’s “New Thinking Allowed”– Plus From the Archives: A Review of Kripal and Strieber’s The Super Natural (and Reflections on Mishlove’s The PK Man)
July 12, 2021 – WORKSHOP:
Tools for a Novel-in-Progress
July 6, 2021 – TEXAS BOOKS:
From the Archives: A Review of Pekka Hämäläinen’s The Comanche Empire
June 28, 2021 – Q & A:
Q & A with Biographer David O. Stewart on the Stunning Fact of George Washington
June 20, 2021
From the Archives: Sam Quinones’ Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic
June 14, 2021 – WORKSHOP:
From the Archives: “Giant Golden Buddha” & 364 More 5 Minute Writing Exercises
June 7, 2021 – TEXAS BOOKS:
Selected Cabeza de Vaca Books, Part II: Notes on Narrative Histories and Biographies
Meanwhile, I’ve been reading maybe not 17,894 books at a time, but sometimes it feels that way! A selection of current reading from the Texas Bibliothek:
Also on my reading table: S. Kirk Walsh’s charming novel The Elephant of Belfast. I have a notion to finish it at the zoo… (by the elephant enclosure, of course…)
Cyberflanerie
Inspiring: Pat Dubrava’s translation journey.
Sergio Troncoso’s essay “Dust to Dust,” in Texas Highways Magazine, August 2021.
Rose Mary Salum’s conversation with Sergio Troncoso about his anthology Nepantla Familias in Literal magazine.
Edward Luttwak’s “Goethe in China”in the London Review of Books— one of the strangest and most important things I’ve read this year.
Because I’ve been thinking about the clarifying power of fairy tales, I recently reread this classic one as told by Hans Christian Anderson. (What would you not venture to say that you see?)
Alberto Blanco, collage artist and one of Mexico’s finest poets, has a new website.
Alison Lurie’s memories of Edward Gorey which I found by way of a search, after I read (and so loved) Mark Dery’s bio, Born to be Posthumous.
“Miraflores at 100” in the San Antonio Botanical Garden this September 18th. More at Anne Elise Urrutia’s website, Quinta Urrutia.
Mexico’s mega-mega-MEGA bookfair, the Feria Internacional de Libros, is open for business and, notably, inviting translators. From David Unger, International Representative:
https://www.fil.com.mx/ingles/i_prof/i_traductores.asp and www.fil.com.mx November 27-December 5 Professional Days Nov. 29-Dec. 1. Peru will be the Guest of Honor.
(See my post about a FIL of olde—that post not yet migrated from the old platform.)
Mexican writer Araceli Ardón, whose superb story appears in my anthology Mexico: A Traveler’s Literary Companion, offers a series of free craft lectures (in Spanish) on creative writing. Check out her YouTube channel, which includes this excellent lecture on writing dialogue:
I welcome your courteous comments which, should you feel so moved, you can email to me here.
Q & A with Katherine Dunn on White Dog and
Writing in the Digital Revolution
Who Was B. Traven? Timothy Heyman on the Triumph of Traven
Cal Newport’s Deep Work; Study Hacks Blog, and on Quitting Social Media
