Pasatono

It is the weekend, so we must sing, and this is Pasatono, the wonderful Mixtec string orchestra I discovered in Oaxaca de Juárez. Axé.

Museo Franz Mayer

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

Zona Sur

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

Chicogrande

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

Chapter 73

It is Wednesday, and Julio Cortázar is re-fascinating me. This is the beginning of the first chapter of Rayuela, called chapter 73. Sí, pero quién nos curará del fuego sordo, del fuego sin color que corre al anochecer por la Rue de la Huchette, saliendo de los portales carcomidos, de los parvos zaguanes, del fuego … More Chapter 73

Among Stelae

The Professor Zero character is intended to resemble some rather severe individuals like Xolotl, Uaxaclajuun Ub’aah K’awiil (18 Rabbit), Augusto C. Sandino and Benito Juárez. But Professor Zero has come to resemble some aspects of the present narrator I would rather not have taken on even in real life. Lately I have been looking forward … More Among Stelae

Zapotec Nation

Est-ce que vous m’appelez “hispanique”? This is Mixtec and then Zapotec territory. We crossed the border at Matamoros on the night of 26 May and we are now very far south. I am on the way to my stela but I must first traverse that Guatemalan land. “To be Native is to have a universe … More Zapotec Nation