Podcasts by C.M. Mayo

Marfa Mondays Podcasting Project
#11 Cowboy Songs by Cowboys
Cowboy songs by cowboys Michael Stevens, Craig Carter, and Doug Figgs— and an interview with Michael Stevens. Recorded by permission on February 23, 2013 at the 27th annual Cowboy Poetry Gathering at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas.

Marfa Mondays Podcasting Project
#10 A Visit to Swan House (C.M. Mayo Reads for PEN San Miguel)
C.M. Mayo reading live for PEN San Miguel in the Teatro Angela Peralta, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, on January 29, 2013. After a brief consideration of literary travel writing in the digital age, Mayo reads from her article in the winter 2013 issue of Cenizo Journal, "A Visit to Swan House," about the Presidio, Texas teaching house of adobe visionary Simone Swan, which features Nubian vaults, contructed by means of an ancient technique rescued by Swan's mentor, the renowned Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy. *30 minutes

Marfa Mondays Podcasting Project
#9 Mary Baxter, Painting the Big Bend
Mary Baxter came to Marfa years ago for the horses and cattle business and stayed to paint the sky-haunted landscapes. Recently returned to Marfa after a decade in (relatively nearby) Marathon, Texas, Mary Baxter talked to C.M. Mayo in her sun-filled studio in October 2012.

>>View some of Mary Baxter's works at www.baxtergallery.com
>>Read her biography and view more works at Hunt Gallery

C.M. Mayo introduces her new ebook, Podcasting for Writers (Dancing Chiva, 2012)
"Naples Dave" and others from fiverr.com are the big voices, along with music clips from istockaudio.com uniquetracks.com, plus silly sound effects, and more. C.M. Mayo recorded her portion at ye olde writing desk (any snoring sounds are from the dog) and edited the whole shebang on her laptop using Apple's GarageBand. As Mayo says, "If I can podcast, so can you."

Marfa Mondays Podcasting Project
#8 A Spell at Chinati Hot Springs
Elvis. The private art gallery. Lithium. And best of all: no email. C.M. Mayo recounts a visit to the remote Chiahuan Desert oasis.
*28 minutes.

A Conversation with Sergio Troncoso, author of the novel From This Wicked Patch of Dust and Crossing Borders: Personal Essays
Sergio Troncoso on writing his novel From This Wicked Patch of Dust; El Paso, family, reading and visual culture, writing literary novels, blogging, New York publishing, Chicano literature, US-Mexico border history, and 9/11. Recorded by Skype, summer 2012 *Approx 1 hour.

Marfa Mondays Podcasting Project
#7 We Have Seen the Lights
C.M. Mayo recounts her experiences with the bizarre and mysterious phenomena of the Marfa Lights, comments on some of the literature and research, and interviews other witnesses. Recorded in July 2012.
*29 minutes.

Marfa Mondays Podcasting Project
#6 Marfa's Moonlight Gemstones
An interview with Paul Graybeal, owner of Marfa's Moonlight Gemstones. It was no exaggeration for historian Walter Prescott Webb to describe the Big Bend region as "an earthwreck in which a great section of country was shaken down, turned over, blown up, and set on fire." In short, there is ample evidence of millions of years of dramatic geological activity, with the craggiest of mountains to rocks of all kinds, from mammoth piles of boulders to pebbles. In this interview with Paul Graybeal, learn about agates, thundereggs, and more. Visit Paul Graybeal's Moonlight Gemstones at www.moonlightgemstones.com; and watch the etsy.com video, "There's No Place Like Here: Marfa, Texas" in which Graybeal makes a brief appearance. Recorded in May 2012, posted for June, 2012.*48 minutes.

Marfa Mondays Podcasting Project
#5 Cynthia McAlister: The Buzz on the Bees
An interview with Cynthia McAlister about the bees of West Texas, both imported and native to the northern Chihuahuan Desert. McAlister holds a masters degree in biology from Sul Ross University and is the author of several articles on bees, among them,"Our Native West Texas Bees," which appeared in the winter 2012 issue of Cenizo Journal. Recorded in late January 2012, posted on May 21, 2012.
*1 hour 6 minutes.

Marfa Mondays Podcasting Project
#4 Avram Dumitrescu, An Artist in Alpine
An interview with Avram Dumitrescu, an artist and illustrator whose paintings have been featured in "Marfans: Art from the Plateau" at the Nancy Fyfe Cardozier Gallery in Odessa, and also showcased in Cenizo Journal. A native of the Channel islands and raised in Belfast, he earned a bachelor's degree and Masters in Applied Arts from the University of Ulster at Belfast. He is married to journalist Megan Wilde. For more about Dumitrescu, and to view his portfolio, visit www.onlineavram.com. Recorded in late January 2012, posted on April 16, 2012. *36 1/2 minutes.

A Conversation with Michael K. Schuessler, author of the biographies of Guadalupe (Pita) Amor and Elena Poniatowska, and editor of Alma Reed's long-lost autobiography, Peregrina: Love and Death in Mexico
Michael K. Schuessler on Mexico's incomparable poet Guadalupe (Pita) Amor; her neice, Mexico's acclaimed novelist and journalist Elena Poniatowska; the baroque literary prodigy Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz; and the great friend of Mexico, the adventurous and passionate journalist Alma Reed, whose autobiography—a work vital to early 20th century Yucatecan history— Schuessler rescued from an abandoned closet. Recorded in Mexico City on March 8, 2012. *1 hour and 7 minutes.

Marfa Mondays Podcasting Project
#3 Mary Bones on the Lost Art Colony
An interview with Mary Bones, curator of "The Lost Colony: Texas Regionalist Painters," at the Museum of the Big Bend, Sul Ross University. Alpine, Texas. Recorded in late January 2012 in the gallery. Read more at the main Marfa Mondays page. Posted on March 19, 2012. *About 35 minutes.

A Conversation with Edward Swift, author of My Grandfather's Finger and The Daughter of the Doctor and the Saint
Edward Swift is an artist and the author of the memoir My Grandfather's Finger, in addition to several acclaimed novels, most recently, The Daughter of the Doctor and the Saint. Recorded in his studio in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, the conversation ranges from the Orphic journey to Texas's Big Thicket, Marguerite Young, Proust, Greenwich Village, and the wonders of Mexico's little-known Sierra Gorda. Recorded on Feb 22, 2012. *1 hour and 15 minutes.

C.M. Mayo Discusses Francisco I. Madero's Secret Book of 1911, Spiritist Manual

Recorded at the PEN / Sol Literary Magazine Reading Series event of February 22, 2012 in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. C.M. Mayo introduces and discusses her translation— the first into English— of Francisco I. Madero's secret book of 1911, Spiritist Manual. Madero was the leader of Mexico's 1910 Revolution and President of Mexico from 1911-1913. (Note: this is an abbreviated version of the longer podcast, listed directly below, with fellow author Gerard Helferich, who read from his book, Stone of Kings.) *26 1/2 minutes.

Note: In this talk I mention that I had not been able to find a copy of the original Spanish edition, Manual Espírita, anywhere on-line. Shortly after I posted this podcast I found this free PDF download available from a Mexican government website. — C.M. Mayo

PEN / Sol Literary Magazine Reading Series, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico:
Gerard Helferich (Stone of Kings) and C.M. Mayo (tr. Madero's Spiritist Manual)
Gerard Helferich, author of Stone of Kings: In Search of the Lost Jade of the Maya, and C.M. Mayo, translator of Francisco I. Madero's secret book of 1911, Spiritist Manual. Introduced by
Eva Hunter, editor of Sol Literary Magazine. Recorded on February 22, 2012 in the Biblioteca Pública. *57 minutes.

Marfa Mondays Podcasting Project
#2 Charles Angell in the Big Bend
An interview with Charles Angell, owner of Angell Expeditions, on the Big Bend: how he got here, the rivers, the birds, geology, archaeology, rock art, movies, and much more. Read more at the main Marfa Mondays page. Posted on February 20, 2012. *About 46 minutes.

Marfa Mondays Podcasting Project
#1 Welcome and Introduction
All about the new monthly podcasting project about Marfa, Texas and Environs. Read more at the main Marfa Mondays page. Posted on January 16, 2012. *About 15 1/2 minutes.

A Conversation with Sara Mansfield Taber, author of Born Under an Assumed Name: The Memoir of a Cold War Spy's Daughter

C.M. Mayo talks with Sara Mansfield Taber, author of the memoir Born Under an Assumed Name. For Taber, growing up in Taiwan, Japan, Washington DC, the Netherlands, and Borneo was tough as well as exotic, and she found the experience even more unsettling because, as she learned at fifteen, she was the daughter of a covert CIA agent. In this lyrical memoir, Taber captures the painful journey as she —and her adored father— struggle to understand who they are and what it means to be an American. The conversation ranges from her father's work in Asia, including his daring rescue of over a thousand Vietnamese after the fall of Vietnam to the Vietcong, and his disenchantment with the agency while working in Germany; Taber's childhood in Taiwan, highschool years in Washington DC during the Vietnam War; her previous books, including Bread of Three Rivers and Dusk on the Campo; other travel writers, reading as a writer; writing practice, and teaching writing. Recorded in December 2011. *About 53 minutes.

Ten Tips to Help You Get the Most Out of Your Writing Workshop

Everything I wish I'd known, ayyy, 20 + years ago. *About 8 1/2 minutes.

A Conversation with Solveig Eggerz, author of the novel Seal Woman

C.M. Mayo talks with Solveig Eggerz, author of the fiercely poetic novel Seal Woman. Inspired by the Icelandic fairytale of the seal woman and the true story of some 300 German war widows brought to Iceland to marry and work on the remote farms, Seal Woman has been widely praised and translated into both Hebrew and Icelandic. The conversation ranges from the author's unusual background (from Iceland to England to Germany to Alexandria, Virginia), Iceland's book culture, fairytales, advice for writers, and more. Recorded in November 2011. *About 1 hour 7 minutes.

How to Break a Writing Block

C.M. Mayo on the power on the five minute writing exercise. The end of this podcast offers an exercise— so get out your pen and paper. (For more exercises, visit "Giant Golden Buddha & 364 More 5 Minute Writing Exercises.) *About 11 minutes. Please note that on iTunes the timing is only 7 minutes, so if you're doing the writing exercise, best to listen on podomatic (the button to the left).

Techniques of Fiction: The Number One Technique in the Supersonic Overview

From C.M. Mayo's "Techniques of Fiction" workshop: the number one technique. An explanation with examples, plus a nuggest of advice from Chekhov. (For C.M. Mayo's upcoming workshops, and for many other resources for writers, click here.)*About 8 minutes

A Traveler in Mexico: A Rendezvous with Writer Rosemary Sullivan
A reading of C.M. Mayo's article originally published in Inside Mexico, March 2009, with the author of Villa Air-Bel: World War II, Escape, and House in Marseilles. *About 10 minutes

Like People You See in Dream

C.M. Mayo reads an excerpt from Miraculous Air: Journey of a Thousand Miles through Baja California, the other Mexico, from the chapter about the Jesuit Conquest and Mission San Ignacio. *About 28 minutes

The Arc of Writerly Action

From a panel discussion on writing historical fiction at the American Independent Writers Association Conference, held at the Writer's Center (near Washington DC), June 2011.*About 8 and a half minutes

Presentación de El úlitmo príncipe del Imperio Mexicano, la novela basada en la historia real, por C.M. Mayo, traducido por Agustín Cadena

26 de mayo, 2011, Ciudad de México, Palacio Nacional. Con la participación del Dr. Javier Garcíadiego, Carlos González Manterola, Eduardo Turrent, y el novelista Carlos Pascual. *Apróximadamente una hora y 25 minutos

On Decluttering Your Writing: The Interior Decoration Analogy

C.M. Mayo offers a bit of advice for writers. From the series on creative writing at the Madam Mayo blog.*About 7 minutes

A Banquet of Mexican Literature
C.M. Mayo reads the prologue from her collection of 24 Mexican writers, Mexico: A Traveler's Literary Companion.*About 13 minutes

PEN Writers Aloud: C.M. Mayo and The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire
C.M. Mayo reads from and discusses her novel based on the true story. Recorded January 19, 2011 in the Biblioteca, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.*About one hour and 30 minutes

"Hell, I Knew It Was Paradise"
C.M. Mayo reads an excerpt from Miraculous Air: Journey of a Thousand Miles through Baja California, the Other Mexico (Milkweed Editions, 2007) from the chapter "The Sea is Cortes," about a visit to the East Cape for an interview with Bob Van Wormer and the story of Baja California's spectacular sportfishing industry.*About 16 minutes

Haunted Historical Fiction: The Curious Coincidences Concerning Senator Claiborne Pell's Mansion
C.M. Mayo reads her blog post for "Hist Fic Chick" Blog, October 15, 2010, about writing The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire. How thin in the veil between our world and the next?*About 7 minutes

12 Tips to Help You Hang in There and Finish Your Novel

C.M. Mayo reads the blog post based on a talk for the Writer's Center's First Friday lecture series in Leesburg, VA. *About 12 minutes.

El último príncipe del Imperio Mexicano: Lectura de un extracto del primer capítulo, "La consentida de Rosedale"

C.M. Mayo lee un extracto de la novela El último príncipe del Imperio mexicano, traducida por el novelista y poeta Agustín Cadena (Random House-Mondadori, septiembre 2010). *Apróximadamente 9 minutos
>>Más podcasts en español

The Writing Life: A Report from the Field
A panel discussion at the Artlantic Festival at the Writers Center, May 22, 2010, with Yours Truly, David Taylor, Alan Elsner, Kevin Quirk, and moderator Jessie Seigal. *About one hour and 16 minutes

C.M. Mayo at the Library of Congress
A presentation of the the novel, The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire, and an overview of the author's research in the various archives in the Library of Congress, among them, the papers of the Iturbide family, the Emperor Iturbide, and the circa 1920 copies of a substantial portion of the Kaiser Maximilian von Mexiko archive in Vienna. The lecture was sponsored by the Hispanic Division of the Library of Congress, which is the center for the study of the cultures and societies of Latin America, the Caribbean, the Iberian Peninsula and the Spanish Borderlands, and other areas with Spanish and Portuguese influence. Recorded live July 20, 2009. *About one hour

C.M. Mayo at the Historical Society of Washington DC
A presentation of the the novel, The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire, with special emphasis on Washington DC history (notably Georgetown and Rosedale, the historical estate in Cleveland Park) and an overview of the author's research in the Historical Society of Washington DC. Recorded live October 18, 2009. *About an hour and 20 minutes

And Elsewhere on the Web

The Poet and the Poem Grace Cavalieri inteviews poets C.M. Mayo and Francisco Aragon. Recorded Fall 2008 at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Click here to go direct to the C.M. Mayo interview (direct MP3 download).
>>More interviews.

BookCast
An interview by Sam Clay with novelists Pam Jenoff and C.M. Mayo about writing historical fiction. September 2009.
>>More interviews.

National Public Radio John Ydstie interviews C.M. Mayo about literary translation and Mexico: A Traveler's Literary Companion. April 1st 2006.

>>More interviews.

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