Mexico Mike's Page

After 40 years of knocking about Mexico, living there in the 1980's and working and writing about it since the 1990’s, I've seen a lot of changes. I am a recovering travel writer, Yeah, I wrote for many major guidebooks and some minor ones and today wish I'd had the style of Robert Terry's intelligent and literary guidebooks. That kind of writing is discouraged by today's editors. Just the facts, please.

So today, I do more of my own thing, write about what interests me and don't have to sell anything. Places don't interest me much anymore, but people do. Oh I still get a charge out of finding a hot spring or driving up a winding mountain road or just finding neat towns in the middle of nowhere. But the places are secondary to the people. I like meeting Mexican people and hearing their stories. And that is not what most people write about. For now, at least, I am still a loner.

To that end my next book Meet The Mexicans, which will be published by the University of Texas, Pan American this summer is a collection of Mexican people talking about their lives. I have high hopes that it will dispel some stereotypes, but that is probably optimistic. Reviewers are sought. Write me.

People either love or hate Mexico and my little book will probably not tip the scales of public opinion. But at least, for those who like Mexico, it will offer some insight beyond travel writing and “how to live in Mexico” books, both of which I have been guilty of perpetrating.

Times change. When I first published Live Better South of the Border, there were two other major books on living in Mexico. Today there are dozens if not dozens of dozens. I’d like to think that people buy mine for my dry wit and scintillating writing. Nah, they get those as a bonus, but probably just buy it because it has an intelligent title.

So now and again, I will add something here, but it will be offbeat and based on decades of observation.