here i am. remove all buildings. take me anywhere. to an extraordinary place with scale and concurrencies of unexpected sensibility. i am the orphan.⁠ ⁠ #novella #memoir #feothebook #oaxaca #photography #blackandwhite

Ain’t no way to tell a story... with long pauses far outlasting the slow-motion beer slugs my grandfather took! Anyhow landing in Oaxaca was my first deep drink of Mexicanidad. Though I’d studied Chicano history, and been on many family surf-trips in Baja growing up, I had no idea how rich and magical and completely outside of my half-Chicano experience Mexico was. Didn’t even know how to pronounce Oaxaca, really. But begged to go and couldn’t say why. What did she know of life, that girl I once was, who loved stepping into other worlds. Unknown worlds. To have her courage still, knowing better—ah. Anyhow, unhashed-tagged (because I forgot and don’t feel like it), reading 3 from “feo” finally posted (IGTV)

Volkswagen. Oaxaca, 1993 Not only did we grow up with various volkswagens in our driveway, our very household functioned like a Volkswagen. They weren’t always the most functional or reliable vehicles, but they had the charm and simplicity of a bicycle. Sometimes my brother would show up on the side of the freeway and repair the broken throttle cable in my transporter with fishing twine. Had me back on the road in 10 minutes. He’d say it would all be fine. And for a good stretch it actually would. I took this photo in Oaxaca for my kid brother whose third or fourth word was “bugga.” It was difficult for me to language what I loved so much about the place that would mean anything back home. Even having Mexican blood, it was a surprising contrast to my familiars. But there were Volkswagens everywhere. And this meant Volkswagen people—people (like us) with a knack for getting by on a string and a prayer. Learning darkroom photography was a surprise detour from the study-abroad Spanish course I had signed up for. But magical realism and old Volkswagen engines are like-sensibilities. Maps become abstract in comparison to what transpires along the way. #oaxaca #blackandwhite #photography #oaxaca #volkswagen #vw #oldschool #narrative #memoir #goodoledays #novella #feothebook

me with some of the #orphans and #runaways i mentioned in my last reading in @feothebook Grandpa Neal (left) Louisiana-born, ran away from an orphanage in Texas and hopped trains to California, where he later joined the navy and found his brother Cal (on the right) who was cooking in the same convoy of ships. I’m standing next to Uncle George and being strangled by his wife Lucy. I never understood a word any of them were saying between all the cig drags and beer slugs. Talking to them was like driving a station wagon down a long gravel road with potholes to quien-sabe, USA. But there I am, #werelated, #cajun #kinfolk #feothebook

#treedates take #allday