Sunday, April 17, 2011

Road Babe Dispatch from Guanajuato Mexico

Reading Sacred Ground & Holy Water was an adventure in itself. Not only was I launched across oceans and into unexpected settings with artful precision, but I was given the visceral reality of a first-hand cultural exchange. I use the term “first-hand” because Lyn invites us to join him in the experience by allowing us into his thought process, so we may view for ourselves how the mechanism works. I really enjoyed the fearlessness in Lyn’s writing. He’s never shy about getting his hands dirty (in more ways than one). Whether you agree with his opinions or not is beside the point. The other culture is so fiercely engaged that he always has reason on his side.

When I bought Lyn’s book, I did so in person. A comment he made to me raised some eyebrows, but it’s not what you may expect. He said, “You’re a strong minded woman, so I bet you’ll like it.” I worried what a disclaimer like that might mean. The least I can say is that I was both expecting the worst and delightfully surprised by something superb. He took me to places I've never been (in the book, of course) and revisited some old stomping grounds.

Being a Louisiana native and a Mexican resident, I relished his playful and morbid descriptions of my two homes. The quest for blues had personal meaning for me, a lover of tunes in its myriad of forms and particularly music from my roots. His anecdotal shorts about Mexico hit home, too. Here, where death is a part of daily life, the reaper is never too far from your mind. A funny thing that I discovered reading these two sections of the book was the uncanny similarity between the two places: the heat, the pension for music and spicy food, the wild yet dark nature of the locals, and the borderline obsession with death. In our own unique ways, we share elements of our culture. After a great first read, I’ll be looking forward to the next book of Lyn's outrageous travels. I’m sure you will be too.

Mittie Babette Roger is from Louisiana but lives in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. She received an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Naropa University and authored the book It's Better to Visit the Shaman Without Questions to Ask. She travels the world volunteering to help disadvantaged children and promoting Blue Iguana Tequila to empower serious drinkers.

No comments:

Post a Comment