The strongest strikes Calderón and Clinton could make against the narcos would be to take the Army off the streets in Mexico and legalize drugs. Seriously. And Carlos Monsiváis died today, following José Saramago yesterday in Lisbon. I was in a museum earlier today watching Monsiváis speak on film and said, “After a certain point … More Tlatelolco
From the Aztec temple you can look across to the Spanish cathedral and beyond to a famous modern tower. I don’t really like to take pictures but if I had a camera I would like to compose and take a picture of this view. When I visit the ancient buildings I wish I could have … More Bernal Díaz del Castillo
XIUHTECUHTLI It is the weekend, and the title of this post is the name of a new and famous monolith. I sing that I have changed the name of this blog to Xiuhtecuhtli, and mine to 1 Tochtli. It is difficult to become accustomed to and I reserve the right to change back. The narrator, … More Tlaltecuhtli
To understand what I was reading I had to remember who Piolín was, and it is Tweety Bird. I had not thought of him in the longest time but it turns out that the phrases “lindo gatiiiito” and “me pareció ver un lindo gatitooo” are very well known. Piolín is derived from the Nahuatl, and … More Piolín y Silvestre en “Canarios Anónimos”
This morning I was melting down about academia, and theorized about it, and erased the theorizing because first, I felt I had assimilated it well enough not to need a record of it and second, because really my issue was the idea one should like things one does not, and the case in point for … More Aimez-vous Rayuela?
Technically a tourist, I should be making pilgrimages to monuments I have never seen, like the Basilica of Guadalupe, or that I have not seen in decades, like Teotihuacan. What I really do is read books and newspapers in bad light while scribbling furiously. I do understand why some of my American friends would consider … More Tianguis de Cuauhtémoc
This music video could be good to use in class. I must teach Spanish literature from 1700 to 2010 soon, a topic about which I do not know enough to create a non-stiff survey. I usually teach it with a set of representative texts. I survive it, but I am not truly current in this … More Río Ebro
I really recommend the Museo Franz Mayer, which has existed since 1986 but where I had not been before. I recommend its collections, its cloister, its fountains, its patios, its café, and last but not least its working library. This is one of the important places to know about in Mexico City and it is … More Museo Franz Mayer
One of the reasons I come to Mexico is to go to the luxurious Cine Lumière Reforma and see new Latin American and international film. I was excited to get to see a recent Bolivian film but did not discover until the end that the director and some of the actors were in the audience. … More Zona Sur
This film, which opened Friday, is required viewing because it is by a famous director. The screenplay was by an actual writer, and the film was originally supposed to be shot in 1978. Now it is one of many cultural artifacts marking the Mexican bicentennial. Another film, whose previews look truly terrible, will open on … More Chicogrande
coldhearted scientist وداد 