Featuring a series of photographs by several friends of mine, there is now on You Tube a multimedia presentation of First Stop in the New World: Mexico City, Capital of the 21st Century. The narration was written and read by yours truly. I asked my editor, Sean McDonald, if Riverhead had a budget to spring for Terence Stamp or Malcolm McDowell for the voiceover. He told me on no uncertain terms to dream on. My own voice is usually a little steadier and less stiff; I guess I got stage fright.
My first job in journalism was at a trade paper called Women’s Wear Daily, where the managing editor, Mort Sheinman, taught me some lessons that, all these years later, still stand me in good stead when I sit down to write a newspaper or magazine story.
One day Mort and I went out to lunch and he confessed to me that his dream job would be city editor – not at the newspaper, but literally walking around the streets of New York correcting all of the mistakes on street signs, on menus, on movie marquees and so on.
I thought he might be interested in the writing on the wall outside this store in the Colonia Roma Sur, which sells all sort of light bulbs and light fixtures. It would appear that they are selling some lamps with the brand name “Slime Line.” I’m assuming they are actually called “Slim Line.” But maybe they’re just dirty lamps. What do you think, Mort?
In the mid-1980s I saw John Malkovich on Broadway twice – in Death of a Salesman and Burn This – and have been a fan ever since. So when Guillermo Osorno, editor of Gatopardo magazine, called to see if I would write a profile of the actor, he didn’t have to ask twice.
Malkovich is in Mexico City directing a play in Spanish called El buen canario (Good Canary). It was actually written in English by an American named Zach Helm, but as of yet has never been produced in its original language. (Malkovich directed it in Paris in French last year, and for his efforts won a Moliere Award.) It starts a limited run at the Teatro Insurgentes on November 28, with Diego Luna and Irene Azuela in the principal roles.
I spent quite a bit of time with Malkovich over the course of two days in Los Angeles, where the first couple of weeks of rehearsals were held. He struck me as exactly like he is in the movies, minus the menace – thoughtful, funny, intelligent, intense, charming, and enigmatic. He was so nurturing to the actors that it was as if he were their mother rather than their director. The issue of Gatopardo with my story is on the newsstands in Mexico City, but those of you who can read Spanish can find the article on the Gatopardo web site (www.gatopardo.com). Or else, click right here and you'll get there directly.
I know, I know, I know: Isn't it awful? Whatever happened to civic culture? What an outrage. But just between us: Wouldn't you love to be able to do this in downtown Sheboygan? Paducah? Kenosha?
First, the good news, which is, of course, that Obama won. The above photo was taken moments before he was declared the victor, at a results-watching party thrown by the U.S. Embassy at the Hotel Camino Real. The beauty in the silly hat is Margot Lee Shetterly from the great state of Virginia, who is alongside her husband, Aran Shetterly from the chillier one of Maine. The two are publisher and editor, respectively, of Inside Mexico, a monthly English-languague publication here. (You can have a look at www.insidemex.com.) Judging from the grave expressions on their faces, the woman with her hand on her cheek, and the other inspiring sympathy from Margot, were perhaps McCain supporters.
The Mexicans at the party were hardly paying attention to the election results; indeed, they seemed distracted by them. Which brings me to the bad news: Tuesday, at about 6:40 p.m., a Lear jet crashed down on Paseo de la Reforma near the Fuente de Petróleos. This would be more or less like a plane falling on Fifth Avenue in New York, or between the Café de la Paix and the Bourse in Paris. The most prominent passenger was Juan Camilo Mouriño, Minister of the Interior, and right-hand man to President Felipe Calderón.
The government is assuring us that it was an accident. However, all the Mexicans at the party seemed to think that the plane's failure was the work of drug traffickers, as Mouriño was directly involved in Calderón's war against them. All nine of the people on the plane, passengers and crew, died. Miraculously, it appears that there were only five other casualties, although 40 people were taken to the hospital. Six are in critical condition and one is among the five who perished.
