Mexico Books

Few students of literature today have heard of Neith Boyce. But at the dawn of the 20th century, she achieved significant success as a prolific writer of fiction, nonfiction, poetry and drama, in what was distinctly a man's world. In that world she was known as Mrs. Hutchins Hapgood, and at the time Hapgood‚s career eclipsed hers, though he's equally obscure today. Carol DeBoer-Langworthy, editor of The Modern World of Neith Boyce, has resurrected the previously unpublished autobiographical portion of Boyce's oeuvre in a thorough, scholarly presentation.

The three works contained in this volume are an autobiography by Boyce that covers her early years and ends with her marriage to Hapgood; diary entrees from an extended stay in Italy in 1903, during which Boyce rubbed sleeves with such luminaries as Bernard Berenson and Gertrude Stein; and diary entries from 1914, when Boyce, two of her children, Mabel Dodge, and Carl Van Vechten were stranded in Italy at the outbreak of World War I.

Editor DeBoer-Langworthy contributes an introduction with a biographical sketch of Boyce's life that cogently establishes Boyce's place at the forefront of the modernist movement, but left me wanting a bit more detail, such as excerpts or sample plot summaries from Boyce's fictional works. So I wonder if a complete Neith Boyce biography might be the editor's next project. As it is, DeBoer-Langworthy played detective over a twenty-five year span in pursuit of the unvarnished Neith Boyce, and the book's parallel streams reflect its editor's total engagement. There is Boyce's narrative, and there is the narrative of DeBoer-Langworthy's footnotes. The editor's tidbits of historical context and personal anecdote are not to be missed.

In her autobiography Neith Boyce did not make a literary detective's work easier. Apparently traumatized by the early childhood loss of her four siblings to a diphtheria epidemic, which left her temporarily an only child, Boyce took refuge in detachment and invented an alter-ego, whom she called "You" and blamed for all her real or imagined social blunders. This penchant for seeing herself in other than the first person persisted in her autobiography, where she assumes the third person identity of "Iras." She assigns pseudonyms also to family members but is inconsistent in her other references, calling her husband-to-be, for example, by his actual nickname, Hutch. How many years of investigation did DeBoer-Langworthy spend in simply figuring out who all these people were?

The diary entries from 1903 contain juicy gossip about the expatriate literary and art practitioners gathered around Florence. Seemingly ordained to detachment, Boyce embraced its virtues and defined herself repeatedly as an observer. Indeed her descriptions of landscape, art, and architecture are fulsome and vivid. When it came to her fellow humans, this detachment served her a little less well. The gatherings she described tended to be told rather than shown, much attention was paid to dress, and often the lingering impression left by her comments on her companions revealed mainly whether or not she liked them. Here is one of her takes on Gertrude Stein, whom, in fact, she liked quite well: "We enjoyed Gertrude's visit, though she rather got on my nerves at times by her habit of not bathing and wearing the same clothes all the time." The diaries are told in the first person; Boyce is "I" or "me"; but interestingly, when at the end of this segment Boyce learns of her father's death, suddenly she reverts to calling herself Iras.

Eleven years later, on the eve of World War I, Boyce's prose took on greater urgency and immediacy, as the intersection of personal lives and cataclysmic world events lent suspense and plot line to her deft dissection of the barriers to fleeing Italy. Even in her diaries, this episode reveals, Boyce wrote with a true professional's eye to publication. Not knowing if she and her two children would make it out of Italy alive (they did), she nonetheless wrote of wanting the very journal she was writing to get successfully delivered to her husband in the States, destined presumably for the public record.

Throughout the worries of motherhood, the insults of a philandering husband, and the thunder of war, Neith Boyce kept on writing. Congratulations to editor Carol DeBoer-Langworthy for restoring this significant woman‚s life to our attention.

Now that the University of New Mexico Press has published Carol
Deboer-Langworthy "The Modern World of Neith Boyce," scholars and
professors can no longer ignore Neith's immeasurable and major
contribution to the forming of both the feminist movement and the
Modernist movement. The discovery of Neith's autobiography and her
personal diaries by the author is to the Modernists what the discovery of
Zora Neale Hurston's work was to the Harlem Renaissance.

Few writers have ever had a more intense identification with the San Patricios than Michael Hogan. (San Patricios was the name given to the Irish soldiers who deserted to fight for Mexico in the Mexican-American War. Hogan, an Irish-American who has long lived in Mexico and speaks fluent Spanish, is currently head of the English and Humanities Departments at Guadalajara's American School. The author of twelve books, he was also historical consultant on the set of "One Man's Hero," an MGM picture starring Tom Berenger and Daniela Romo which presents a fictional episode in the history of the San Patricios. "Molly Malone and the San Patricios" does double duty as a robust action novel and a work of historical revisionism. (Though named after that famed dispenser of cockles and mussels, "Molly Malone" is an Indian dog that has attached itself to the Irish battalion.) Since some of the soldiers who deserted to fight for Mexico were U.S. citizens (others were immigrants who joined the Army because of anti-Irish discrimination in civilian life), media organs of the day were almost unanimous in branding them as traitors. In a sober and compelling analysis, Hogan shows how the treatment they received would hardly induce them to become superpatriots a la George M. Cohen, an Irish-American lucky enough to come after anti-Hibernian prejudice had evaporated. The earlier newcomers daily encountered signs reading "No Irish need apply!" and, after joining the Army, were even denied Catholic chaplains. Hogan's historical work, published in 1997, was titled "The Irish Soldiers of Mexico." His novel follows the outline of the nonfiction book but also has an early section that proceeds events in Mexico. The protagonist is a 16-year-old "greenhorn" right off the boat who encounters both torment and ecstasy in the life of a newly arrived immigrant. He is beaten up by bigots in a bar but then employed by a rich farmer whose nubile daughter is instantly attracted to him. Though the farmer is well-intentioned, his benevolence does not extend to sanctioning a romantic laison between his dughter and a penniless Catholic immigrant. This leads to a chain of events that culminate in Kevin being shanghaied into the army and shipped off to the Mexican border on the eve of President Polk's "Manifest Destiny" invasion of Mexico. The rest is known. Kevin and his comrades desert and form an artillery battalion that distinguishes itself in some of the war's most sanguinary battles. Using an E.L. Doctorow approach, Hogan deftly blends fictional and historical figures in the novel. Lee and Grant make cameo appearances, as does Henry Clay Jr., who dies in a war that his father strenuously opposes. Hogan offers up some marvellous touches of humor. No historical figure was more vainglorious than the Mexican commander Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. Photography had recently been invented and the Irish soldiers quipped that Santa Anna would rush out of his tent in full uniform whenever lightning flashed: he thought God wanted to take his picture. A more somber episode--and one that touches intimately on the area of ethnic stereotyping--involves an agonizing decision that the Irish survivors had to make when the war ended and they were in captvity. A lieutenant named Martin Lyndon had been a barrister in his native Galway before economic circumstances forced him to emigrate. A realistic man, a born survivor, he addresses his comrades in their cell: "I'm going to suggest that we plead the defense of drunkenness at our trials. Drunkenness as an excuse for desertion. Let me tell you why." Lyndon goes on to explain tht drunkenness has traditionally been considered a mitigating factor in courts-martial and such a plea would be bound to reduce penalties they might suffer--shorter terms of imprisonment or, at worst, the honor of a firing squad rather than hanging. Though some soldiers buy Lyndon's argument, a young idealist like Dillon is repelled by what he considers a disgraceful copout. "They had deserted an invading army for the noblest reasons," writes Hogan. "They had fought for a cause they believed in, under a banner which represented their faith and ideals. They had shown courage and honor in battle and now they were about to negate it all by declaring that they were simply a bunch of drunks." While some of his comrades make this devils's bargain, Kevin Dillon goes to death on the scaffold. --Reviewed by Jim Tuck Guadalajara Colony Reporter

We Follow Kevin Dillon through his innocent and optimistic youth in Boston, into a racist cauldron, to his rescue and thence to a love affair with a proverbial farmer's daughter, and then into the U.S. Army in Texas. Michael Hogan has written an interesting, thoughtful, and exciting tale based on historical facts. Kevin's experience in Mexico are at once exciting and tragic. A novel well worth the read.

The monkey box is probably the sweetest true love story i have read... made all the more sweet by the fact that it is a REAL story! The history, the love and the passion of the characters, the fear of war, the rigidness of the social customs all interplay into a wonderful story I would love to see made into a movie! Mr. Rodriquez brings his family back to life for us; we get to know their very thoughts and dreams; their hopes, their passions , their sorrows.... we feel all of their emotions as if they were were living and breathing here today.

The Monkey Box is an incredibly intense story that runs the full gamut of emotions: love and war, struggles between the classes, greed, deceit, hardship, romance, etc.. What's even more incredible, it's a true story. The story is so riveting, I could not put it down. I read for hours on end. GREAT BOOK!

this guide was extremely helpful and informative during our trip, it had lots of info not only on cancun and cozumel but also on the mayan ruins and other great places to see like playa del carmen and tulum

I found this book to be very helpful and up to date. The details provided were first rate. It even listed the ferry schedule to Isla Mujeres - something that other guides only glossed over. The maps were useful too. There were a lot of information on cenotes, and where they are located.

I liked it so much that I have just bought the Moon travel guide to the Four Corners.

Lawrence was a good traveller in these parts and he spent a lot of time carefully observing the Indians he met along the way. He was particularly interested in the ways of thought of the Indians and their religious beliefs and the ways their ideas differed from yours and mine. On simple concepts like time and distance, for example: "To an Indian, time is a vague, foggy reality. There are only three times: en la manana (morning); en la tarde (afternoon); en la noche (night). But to the white monkey (you and me) there are exact spots of time, such as five o'clock and half past three." The Indian's concept of God was different from ours. "With the Indians...there is strictly no god. The Indian does not consider himself as created and therefore external to God, or the creature of God. There is, in our sense of the word, no God. But all is godly. There is no great mind directing the universe. Yet the mystery of creation, the wonder and fascination of creation shimmers in every leaf and stone... There is no God looking on. The only God there is is involved all the time in the dramatic wonder and inconsistency of creation. God is immersed, as it were, in creation, not to be separated or distinguished. There can be no ideal God." Lawrence does a wonderful job of digging into this exotic culture and explaining to us the significance of Indian rituals and dances. I particularly liked one of his statements: "The Indian is completely immersed in the wonder of his own drama." There is also a lovely example of descriptive travel writing in "Market Day", a chapter that makes you slow down your reading pace to savor the beautiful descriptions of small things like a bird's flight or flowers in a doorway. I guess this is the difference between reading and information-processing, which we do so much of today.

D.H. Lawrence writes like a painter would write were he to. What is most real in the writings of Lawrence is the physical world, and of course the body. Mornings in Mexico is really a slight work but with a charm to it. There is a relating of facts (especially about Indian life and thought) that you would expect from a travel piece but the charm is in the kind of easy sauntering pace that the narrative keeps. That feeling that it is vacation time and there really is no hurry. The house he lives in for his stay in Mexico and the surrounding markets and open fields in which he walks and the balcony he stands on in the morning with parrot are all pleasantly described. It feels like a place you want to be. The way time away should feel. There is a slight mournful air to the fact that the Americans are beginning to spoil the place, it is as if the Americans have brought that intruder time itself into this timeless land. It's not so much the details you will remember as the overall feel of the work. And Lawrence himself. And here he seems at ease, searching as always but not desperately so, which is a nice Lawrence to spend time with.

While for some a bicultural background might be a bother, for Kathleen Alcala it is a blessing. Her Latin-American background has helped her complete a collection of short stories that is both funny, and magical. Her prose is very poetic and captivating, much like other Latin-American author such as Puerto Rico's Rosario Ferre, and of course, Gabriel Garcia-Marquez. Each story is short, told by several first-person narrators, all of them struggling to come to terms with strange, funny, sometimes heartbreaking events of daily life, made even more sorrowful by the conflict of trying to deal with two different cultures, each of them striving to be the dominating one. As a collection, each story could be described as a precious individual pearl, capable of standing on its own, but string them all together and you have a stunning necklace. I highly reccomend this book

While for some a bicultural background might be a bother, for Kathleen Alcala it is a blessing. Her Latin-American background has helped her complete a collection of short stories that is both funny, and magical. Her prose is very poetic and captivating, much like other Latin-American author such as Puerto Rico's Rosario Ferre, and of course, Gabriel Garcia-Marquez. Each story is short, told by several first-person narrators, all of them struggling to come to terms with strange, funny, sometimes heartbreaking events of daily life, made even more sorrowful by the conflict of trying to deal with two different cultures, each of them striving to be the dominating one. As a collection, each story could be described as a precious individual pearl, capable of standing on its own, but string them all together and you have a stunning necklace. I highly reccomend this book

I was a captive audience in this wonderful mystery! The author cleverly guides her reader on a Mexican adventure through the eyes of a young girl as she discovers the truth about her amulet and the trials and tribulations of living in a mobile family. The story brought back a few memories for me of the feelings associated with moving to different schools. I recommend this book for anyone who loves a good mystery or wants to know what it's like to move many times.

I loved this book! I am 11 years old and what I liked about this book was how real the characters were. I started reading this book and couldn't stop! It was such a page turner! I also liked the mystery and suspence. I think everybody should read this book!

I had never before bought a book on tape. So when ME Cooper's son, (former US MX Champion Guy Cooper), suggested that I buy a few to stock in my store, I was skeptical. However, I brought one of the books with me on an 8 hour drive to a meeting and before I realized it, I had listened to the entire thing! I didn't even want to pause long enough to fuel-up at a gas station! Fun and suspenseful, this story truly reflects the life of a professional motocross racer and adds the excitement of murder to racing! Kudos to Cooper on this one! Definitely recommend, even if you're not into motocross!

Hold on for your life as Chuck Conway goes to Mexico to get his racing career back on track. While amusing himself between races he runs into his ex-partner and ex-wife. Coincidence? Or is someone about to set him up? Accused of multiple murders, an Oklahoma law man is the only thing between Chuck and the Monterrey jail. Fast action, a perflexing mystery, and a fiesty love triangle make Murder in Mexico a riveting tale that will keep your engine running long after you get home.

I made a point of looking up the book here on Amazon so I could write a glowing review. I have also bought a copy for a friend and neighbor (her native country, Mexico). We both are new moms and my son, who is almost two, LOVES this book. "A painting is a poem without words" -- you can see the truth to that saying! The style emphasizes bold color and fantastic figures. The backdrop to these proverbs is an unapologetically childlike universe, awash with the mystery of the new within in the familiar. I wish the authors great success: many many people SHOULD enjoy this book!

I borrowed this book from my ESL co-worker and I fell in love with the gorgeous illustrations and the wonderful text. I came home and looked this book up on Amazon so I could buy it for myself. This is a great book for teachers of Spanish/English/literature/art as well as a great book to sit down and enjoy. You'll love the pictures and the proverbs. Neat book!

I homeschool my 11 year old son. He chose to do a project on the Maya and came across this book at the library. What a great book! The pictures are beautiful and the style of writing is very friendly.

You can tell that Peter loves his job of researching and writing. I highly recommend this book. I know that I am heading out to find more written by Peter!

Blessings,
Debbie

The author came to my school and gave a book talk, and this book looked exciting so I bought it. It was what most books aren't: Educational AND exciting. That's what made it very enjoyable. The Mystery of the Maya: the Lost City of Palenque doesn't just tell you facts, the author is on an adventure and writes it sort of as if he is writing a journal along the way. It makes you feel like you're there. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who's hungry for fun!