WRITERS ABROAD MAGAZINE : THE THIRD SPACE
What impact did Mexico have on you emotionally , sensorally , and intellectually , and did you incorporate this into your writing ? All the senses are engaged in this outdoor mecca , and my biggest frustration is my frequent inadequacy in describing it . Occasionally I can capture it , like when the wildflowers cover the hills and their delicious smell is unique and wonderful , I invented the phrase ‘ the buttery green scent of wildflowers ’ that describes it perfectly . Another result of the area ’ s influence on my writing is a screenplay I wrote that centers on the famous Baja 1000 off-road race that goes past our house each year .
What are local attitudes to writers ? Although I speak enough Spanish to conduct my daily life , it ’ s not good enough to become involved in any writing group that may exist in the nearest town fifteen miles away . The town has no tourist shop but is a working man ’ s town , servicing the surrounding farmers and other trades people in the area .
Swapping cultures will always present new aspects to moral conclusions and assumptions . Does this reflect on your writing ? Although most of the Mexicans I know around us do not attend church , the Catholic Church is by far the greatest influence on morals and the culture here . Unlike when I lived in Iran and China , I find great commonality with the Mexican moral conclusions and assumptions .
What have you learnt from living in Mexico ? How to live as a guest in a country , even though I do have permanent residency . How to be grateful for whatever material comforts I have .
Who is the audience for your writing and how much of it is local ? Most of my audience are people who live or travel throughout Mexico . My work has been published in various travel magazines , flying magazines and online blogs .
Describe a typical day in Mexico including your writing . You can ’ t live where we live without taking a morning walk each day . It would be something akin to a sin not to get out into the fresh air and beautiful scenery . I have household help a couple times a week so when they come in I tend to work along side of them organizing , getting laundry ready and so on . Although we use the compound for private use only , the four casitas and twenty-two beds require constant upkeep . Once a week I go into town for groceries , so the rest of the time , after my morning walk , I sit in one of various places , in the living room , in a small library we built , or outside under a palapa overlooking the water to write . By lunchtime I ’ m ready for a nap , and after the nap I will often return to the writing to do non-creative things like editing and keeping up with emails .
11 | MAY 2017