Author Archives: Stephen Woodman
Mexico’s most astonishing interviews
Impunity is a persistent theme in Mexican society. It has been manifest everywhere from the courts and elections, to the recent massacre in Guerrero. Many Mexicans are suspicious of the two major TV networks, Televisa and Azteca, whose bland and … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
Tagged Carlos Salinas, Caro Quintero, Elba Esther Gordillo, Enrique Peña Nieto, impunity, Interviews, Mexico, Subcomandante Marcos
4 Comments
Femicide in Mexico: Family of murdered woman await justice, demand new legal interpretation
Little has changed in the two years since Imelda Virgen, a 40-year-old Guadalajara psychologist, was beaten to death on the orders of her husband. The suspects remain in custody but have yet to be sentenced. Much to the disappointment of … Continue reading
Why artists choose Mexico as a setting
Mexico has always attracted a wide roster of foreign artists and intellectuals. Among those who pursued their creative vision in the country are U.S. writers Katherine Anne Porter and William Burroughs, British novelist Graham Greene, Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky and … Continue reading
Posted in Arts
Tagged artists, Cormac McCarthy, Don Winslow, film, Graham Greene, James Ellroy, Katherine Anne Porter, Mexico, novels, Orson Welles, Sergei Eisenstein, William Burroughs
1 Comment
Renegade priest still speaking “language of the poor”
The first time I encountered José Álvarez Franco, better known as Padre Patillas, or “Father Sideburns”, was during a baptismal service in his church in Tateposco, when he referred to me as a “gringo” during the mass, prompting laughter throughout … Continue reading
Seven meetings that shaped Mexico
Mexico, according to Malcolm Lowry, is “the meeting place of mankind itself,” where European and Aztec civilization first made contact. Every year, many Mexicans gather at their family graves to meet with the spirits of departed loved ones. In business … Continue reading
Posted in Culture
Tagged Alfonso Cuaron, Carlos Salinas, Carlos Slim, Cortes, Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Guillermo del Toro, Mexico, Octavio Paz, Santa Anna
3 Comments
The rise and rise of Mexican Mormonism
Until two years ago, when Mormon missionaries knocked on the door of his family home, José Guadalupe Pérez had never heard of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He had no idea what a Mormon was, nor what they believed or practiced. … Continue reading
Hair theft on the rise across Latin America
In June 2011, a 23-year-old woman was walking to a bus stop in the center of Guadalajara when she saw a dark figure approaching, armed with a pair of scissors. The assailant jumped in front of her and shoved her … Continue reading
What was great about Gabo?
The news that Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the Colombian Nobel prize-winning author, died yesterday led to an outpouring of tribute in the press, across Twitter and from a wide array of celebrities. The Colombian president, Juan Manuel Santos, described him as … Continue reading
The Mexican Labyrinth 