Tag: Mexico City

Erika Robuck, AuthorThree years ago when I was fishing around for what to do with my novels now that I was living so far from anything that could in any way resemble a publishing metropolis, I came across a few brave souls, pioneers, pushing forward on the vast prairies of self-publishing.

One of those very brave souls was the lovely young woman you see on the left. I read her very first blogs about her self-published women’s fiction novel Receive me Falling and ideas started percolating in my head. A voice started whispering, You can do this, Jane.

In those days before e-books, the perils of self-publishing were really daunting. Along with worrying about whether you . . .

Landscape in Mendocino CaliforniaThe great thing about being a woman of a certain age, which you probably are if you’re reading my blog instead of tweets, is that you have a lot more time to take spontaneous trips. Exactly what Dave and I did last week.

Just as the heat was cranking up here in the Sierra foothills, we headed to Mendocino for a few days of cool fog, fine dining and great music at the Mendocino Music Festival. Great Music. If you were there for big band night, you will know what I mean when I say Julian Waterfall-Pollack and his arrangement of The Water is Wide. The crowd was in tears and then up on its feet for a standing ovation. You have got to hear this young pianist . . .

Los Girasoles Restaurant in MexicoAnd just to nudge your imagination a bit more, here’s the restaurant Los Girasoles on the left where she’s dining.

BTW — Fabulous food. Great margaritas.

Also, I’ve got a little announcement. Any of you within range of KVRP Public Radio (FM 89) can listen to me read El Tropical, an excerpt from my novel Bird of Paradise. It airs February 8 at 7 pm. Hope you’ll tune in . . .

Costa Alegre ChurchI’m a little sad to be leaving Lili and Mexico City behind. I’ve loved roaming around there in my imagination. I’ve loved being those people.

If you’re thinking of writing a novel or stories, there is no better reason to do it than the feeling you will retain afterward of having lived another life, of having seen the world through completely different perspectives.

Forget the fame and fortune part. This is the only thing . . .

Pawn Shop in MexicoPalace of the Blue Butterfly | Episode 16.

. . . A quick, little tour of Monte Piedad, the National Pawn Shop.

If you go to Mexico City, this is must stop shopping.

You want to find some of those fabulous gold Oaxacan earrings? Monte Piedad.

Antique Silver bracelets? Monte Piedad.

Art Deco coffee service? Ditto.

Or maybe you’ve gotten this far in Palace of the Blue Butterfly, and you want to know what Monte Piedad . . .

Palace of the Blue Butterfly | Episode 12. Remember when I said that I loved crumbling old villas? Must have been early imprinting. On drives around the south, my mother would always find these abandoned, old plantations in places like Georgetown, South Carolina and the like, would stop the car, and I’d find myself stomping through the kudzu, peering through . . .

Leonora Carrington HeadshotPalace of the Blue Butterfly | Episode 11. The great surrealist artist Leonora Carrington died on May 25, 2011 in Mexico City. She was 94. It was weird because my friend Frances in Mexico and I had just been e-mailing each other about Leonora, and Frances was telling me about the time she met her a couple of years ago. I’d mentioned to Frances that I was going to write a bit about Andre Breton and the group of European exiles who, fleeing persecution from the Nazis, came to Mexico in the early forties. They were a remarkable crowd. As Frida Kahlo said, “I didn’t know I was a surrealist until Andre Breton told me I was.” And Breton famously said . . .

Palace of the Blue Butterfly | Episode 7. Why did I choose Mexico as a setting for my book? Two reasons: When I was seventeen, my mother and I took off for Mexico City in her huge Buick Elektra. It was a road trip moment, really exciting, a bit dangerous, with great scenery as a backdrop. Anyway, I fell in love with Mexico. It’s that simple, early imprinting and all that.

The second reason? Well, that has to do with the craft of writing, with the essential element of conflict, and one of my all-time favorite types of conflict involves a woman trying to negotiate a life in a foreign country.

Once I had the setting for my book, I had the conflict. Given all the tension and danger in Mexico now, what was my character doing there? Whom would she meet? Where would she go? And I wanted to . . .

Diego Rivera PaintingIt’s a Thursday night after a couple of really terrifying weeks. I can’t even believe what the Japanese people have to face. Other than sending money to the Red Cross, I don’t know what to do.

If, like me, you feel the need for a little escape from real life, here’s what you can do. (Well, after you figure out the best way YOU can help Japan.)

Start chilling a martini glass in the fridge for your margarita.

Here’s one of my favorite recipes, so . . .

Quetzalpapalotl designDave and I are taking off for a week to see our beautiful daughter in Santa Fe! An added plus: my friend Frances is coming up from old Mexico, and she’s bringing my business cards for Palace of the Blue Butterfly.

The talented Mexico City graphic artist Daniela Garces made them for me. She knew instantly what I wanted—a section of the Mural of Tlalocan that shows the Rain God Tlaloc’s wife. Her name — Quetzalpapalotl — translates into Blue Butterfly.

Notice how the artist etched Tlalocan into the right hand side of the card? Pretty cool . . .