Mexico City 1: Some Observations & Comparisons
Darnton, Coetzee, Cops, Nudes and Dogs
You think book history is high-brow, sequestered in some dry, encrusted corner of academe? Think again. And Look closely. Yes, that’s Robert Darnton on the cover (not the model, the third headline)
of this trendy magazine spotted at a flea market in Mexico City last weekend.
Speaking of astounding reach, here’s an edition of J.M. Coetzee’s The Life of Michael K, in Finnish, found at the same location.
It’s true. Lots of people (and stuff) find their way to this succulent
city.
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As mentioned, I really didn’t like the massive number of cops we saw in Istanbul on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (VAW) on November 25th, or all the bullshit floating around about how they were there to protect the population’s safety. Let’s face it, they were there to eliminate free speech.
Anyhow, we arrived in Mexico City very early one morning several weeks later, in early December. Our hotel was right next to the historical centre (second largest city square in the world apparently) “Zócalo” as it goes by locally - but it, the hotel, was closed, so we went for a stroll. No-one was around save for an army of geared-up policemen,
many of whom were women surprisingly (this was strangely comforting). Anyway: I didn’t mind their presence here as much as I had in Istanbul. The vibe was different. Still disturbing, but I got the feeling they made the place safer. Someone later explained to me that one reason there are so many cops, especially in the centre core, is that the cartels have a ton of money tied up in tourism and they don’t want their investment going south, you hear me? Finding a nice Canadian boy dead on the streets wouldn’t be good for business. Kind of ironic when you think of it.
Should mention that there was another army here too
Sometimes it’s hard to see the difference between the two armies
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They blasted the square in front of the National Art Museum just for us
Inside I must say I was a bit taken aback by all of the submissive
nude women on display
If I’m a woman,
(and in this instance I am) I’m asking: “What the fuck is wrong with these people. Where are all the cocks?
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You’ll remember I called Mexico City a ‘little dog town,’ claiming that you’d never see any cats on motorcycles here (like in Istanbul). Well, we were in this flower market. Couldn’t believe my eyes
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Next time out: more cats, included in a profile of what I consider to be the best used bookstore in CDMX, followed by conversations with the owner of the B. Traven archive, and the Director General of Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial
This was surprising: "Someone later explained to me that one reason there are so many cops, especially in the centre core, is that the cartels have a ton of money tied up in tourism and they don’t want their investment going south, you hear me? Finding a nice Canadian boy dead on the streets wouldn’t be good for business." This seems at odds with the little I've read about kidnapping...