My friend Eduardo has inspired me again, this time to compare two leaders—Hernán Cortéz and George Washington, perhaps an unlikely pairing. Eduardo is currently reading Bernal Díaz del Castillo’s history of the conquest of Mexico. Titled Historia Verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva España (The True History of the Conquest of New Spain), this […]
Leadership, as we can learn from history–and business, and politics, and committees–is about others, not about oneself. As my friend Denton Florian beautifully commented on my post from yesterday, leadership is about building, not about personalities. Without followers, there would be no leaders. Without the support and efforts of those who are led, no leader […]
What creates a great leader? Or even a not so great leader? In our current political quagmire, leadership is needed—desperately. We look back to men like General Patton or President Lincoln, or even American Revolutionary War General and Louisiana Governor Bernardo de Gálvez. What did these men have in common? What made them great […]
All good Texans will tell you February 23rd was “a day that will live in infamy.” All good Tejanos will tell you it’s a day when a bunch of invaders got really stupid. I arrived in San Antonio to find the city abuzz with activity. Okay, not the whole city. Just a tiny area […]
Silver—that critical commodity of the Spanish world came from mines throughout Mexico. I hadn’t planned it as research, but after a memorable visit to Zacatecas with its magnificent churches and deep silver mines, I couldn’t help imagine what it must have been like for those who worked there. The native people worked in the […]
Terrifying, exhilarating, inspirational. It’s all of that and more. This SMA Writers’ Conference has everything for everyone, and don’t worry if you don’t write. My wild and wacky cousin Becca claimed not to know anything about writing and was hesitant to join me at the conference. But because she and her husband Bill are planning […]
And what a Fiesta! After a long day of intense seminars on everything from Creativity and Points of View to Deep Travel Writing, and Historical research, all in giant white tents that matched their Polar Ice-cap temperatures, it was time to party. I think all Conferences have to find ways to make their gatherings affordable. […]
Fear of Mexico at night is highly overrated. What is it about attitudes in the U.S. that focus so much on the dangers of being in Mexico? Even my Mexican friends in Laredo when I was at the conference there in October seemed to feel that the dangers abounded if I dared go across. I’m […]
Envision if you will 480 little old ladies of all shapes and sizes, white haired, gray haired, kinky, curly, straight haired, elegant and dowdy, short, fat, tall, thin, every conceivable combination. Chattering, hugging, waving, laughing. Some sitting by themselves, the writer’s life, shy, introspective, but friendly when asked. And about twenty elderly men, taller, thinner, […]
Consider this a training seminar on how survive–as a contortionist. If you plan to fly to Leon (you can’t fly direct to San Miguel de Allende), the cost can get steep. The night bus from Laredo to San Miguel Allende sounded to us like it would be far better in terms of saving buckage. The […]