Break time

Friday Feb. 14 at 7.30 p.m.

I’m slowing down, my friends – getting tired, wonderful as it all is. I spent the morning working on the talk for my course, then walked to the keynote at 2.15 in broiling heat, clinging to the sides of buildings where there was a bit of shade. At the hotel, I checked the bookstore – True to Life is sold out but Midlife Solo lingers. Several people have come up to tell me how much they enjoyed my reading, so I hoped that would translate into book sales, but no. C’est la vie. I checked out Tent C where my workshop will be held at dawn on Sunday. (9 a.m. — that’s dawn, no?) Met my new memoir teacher friend Jennifer, who gave me her book. Then after the keynote, I walked home for a nap. I’m still there, but will go out soon, at 8 p.m., to walk to the big fiesta which isn’t that far away.

The keynote was Mexican-American writer Jennifer Clement. My hostess Linda was there, had heard her speak before and was disappointed today, but I liked her a lot and will look for her memoir, The Promise Party, when I’m home. She has had a fascinating life, much involvement in social justice, in New York in the seventies was a good friend of Keith Haring and Basquiat, who, she points out, was half Puerto-Rican and spoke Spanish. She quoted Nabokov: Writing memoir is a matter of love. The more you love a memory, the stronger and stranger it is. She talked about writing a memoir in fragments; I like that idea.

But I’m thrilled tomorrow is a day off.

Here are a few random shots: a view of the Parroquia, the huge parish church, from the street I walk along to get home – notice us all on the shady side. Working by the pool at Linda’s condo. A shot of the Canadian writers’ lunch. And where Linda took me for breakfast, a lovely little spot with wonderful bread, for her birthday celebration. And – what I face the day I return. No other pix today. Burned out. Stay tuned.

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