“Dos Gringos” for the screen?

The comment I continually hear from readers of my family book “Dos Gringos” is that it ought to be a film.

“In the middle of the Mexican Revolution, a penniless Norwegian and a drifting Irishman meet in an El Paso bar and are hired by a Pittsburg con-man to fix a gold mine in Mexico with parts which, they discover too late, purposely don’t fit.” I agree it should.  Some of what I have heard:

“This is Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid—with accents.”

 “Can’t put it down.  So much intrigue.”

“A page turner, better than most out of Hollywood.”

“Thrilling – and funny.  Crazy guys.”

 If anyone has an idea how I can get this responsibly started toward a film, let me know. I have had classes in screen writing and would be open to working on a financed production. Quality is the thing.

 Let me know if you have ideas.

 If you haven’t read it –get  YOUR copy of “Dos Gringos”  here.

Chinese in Mexico? Sí!

As I knew nothing about the Japanese in Mexican history, although born and educated in El Paso, Texas, on the Mexican border, I knew nothing about the Chinese in Mexico. The Texas school system didn’t think it was important. But the history is long and often troubled.

There is a well publicized theory that in 1421, 71 years before Columbus, China’s legendary Zheng He and his spectacular Ming fleet of treasure junks discovered America. See “1421: The Year China Discovered the World”

The little known history of the Chinese in Mexico–one that is marked by a bloody massacre and a successful effort to shut down Chinese-owned businesses in one Mexican state–is documented in an English-language book authored by a UCLA professor. The book, “The Chinese in Mexico, 1882-1940” (University of Arizona Press, 2010) notes that Chinese migration to Mexico dates back to the 1600s when Spanish trading ships sailed between Mexico and the Philippines. About 60,000 Chinese entered Mexico during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many of them with the intent of trying to gain illegal entry into the U.S., which had barred Chinese immigrants in 1882.

A nationalist fervor swept Mexico in 1910, the year in which the Mexican Revolution started. Many Chinese residents were killed and robbed. Their private residences and business were ransacked and destroyed. Pancho Villa was known to go out of his way to murder Chinese. But many survived, contributing to Mexico’s diversity and are tailors, barbers, and shopkeepers.

The Main Cause of Death in Hollywood!

The main cause of death in Hollywood, they say, is encouragement. I can understand that concern as the encouragement I have received for the film potential of my latest book, “Dos Gringos” has been mounting. But, I don’t consider it threatening.

Readers, including screenwriters and others in the film industry have said that “Dos Gringos” is visual, moves along, well written with a unique voice. The characters are well developed, deep, but at the same time humorous. They say all that and more. And at this time, the centenary of The Mexican Revolution, and set in El Paso and Juarez, anything having to do with Mexico gets attention.

“Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid—with accents” they call this story about a Norwegian and an Irishman who meet in an El Paso bar and against all common sense, are conned into going to Chihuahua to fix a gold mine with parts that, they learn too late, purposely don’t fit. I welcome all the positive comments. 

I am encouraged–healthily encouraged.

Buy a copy of “Dos Gringos”  here.

About Screenplays~”Dos Gringos” a film?

 A friend asked me, “Do you have a story?” When I said I did, she encouraged me to take a screen-writing course, which I did. That started my writing life. I took lots of film courses, but then met a woman who was a line-producer for John Malkovich. She advised me, “Never write a screenplay. A screenplay is never your own. Write a novel. The best films come from novels.” That changed my direction. She added that a novel is like a painting, no one can change it, even if they want to. The story is yours. The screen play can be constantly changed.  But that is only half of the story.

Because of my screenplay learning, my novels are often said to be “filmic.” Being so, I wanted to still learn more and I took a three-day course from Tom Schlesinger and learned so much

That is why my last published novel, “Dos Gringos” is said by all to be so visual, like you are really there, so “filmic,” that it moves, so entertaining, With all that support, I am reminded by my film friends that the main cause of death in Hollywood is “encouragement.”  But, still, “Dos Gringos” would be so much fun as a film.  I will not be deaf to such encouragement. In fact, the ball is already rolling.

Buy a copy of “Dos Gringos”  here.

DO REVOLUTIONS EVER END?

Like most revolutions, the Mexican Revolution is a story – but unlike most stories, it is one that never ends. As we sit across the border from Juarez, named for the great hero of Mexican independence, the conflict continues. Many factors contribute to the criminality of today. While celebrating the 100^th anniversary of the Revolution, we cannot ignore the conflicts today. We have a lot to consider and to learn.

It’s important for us, sitting in the safety of El Paso, Texas, deemed the Second Safest City in America and across the Rio Grande is Juarez, considered the most dangerous city in the world, with 5,500 killings since January 2008, that we reflect, learn from these tragic events, and take action as we can to change it. Revolutions are about change and like many events in life history; the end result is often not what many thought it would be. It is our responsibility to keep our hearts, and minds, and actions, directed toward change that is beneficial to all, to peace, to happiness for all. What can we Americans do to help bring safety and order to our neighbors in Mexico? What is the American role in this criminality? It is drugs and guns. And we must take steps as responsible citizens and human beings to invest our elected officials to take effective action.

 In my recent trip to El Paso to promote my book, “Dos Gringos,” I found a silence about the violence across the river. I realize there is not much an individual can do about this costly issue, but I was surprised there was not more concern expressed.  Change is difficult to manage and usually resisted. But lives are at stake here and we have to make the change quick and lasting.

Buy a copy of “Dos Gringos”  here.

El Paso ~ where “Dos Gringos” starts and ends! And another gringo discovers his home.

I have just returned from four days of book signing and speaking in El Paso, Texas, where my newest novel, “Dos Gringos,” starts and ends in an El Paso bar. This week was the local celebration of the centenary of the Mexican Revolution and there were exhibits and events all over. I was there to talk, but I learned so much. This is my home, El Paso. But as a teen, I learned little about the history of Mexico—it was all about Texas. This visit was an experience that the publishing of this story of my father’s experience in the Revolution has become the event that brings me back home—after over fifty years.

 The interest in my book was impressive. I spoke at the El Paso Museum of History, Barnes and Noble, The El Paso Central Library, and met interesting people, recognized historians, writers, and others. The response from audiences was enthusiastic, and lots of books were sold and signed. They loved the humor of the story, but also the historical setting and environment. The growing knowledge, on my part, of the larger picture of the revolution was of unexpected value.

I was so impressed with the cordiality, the helpfulness, the sincere interest of my sponsors and presenters. In fact I find the people of El Paso amongst the nicest I have met. “They are as warm as the desert they live in,” one said. I surely agree.

The story of the two mismatched foreigners loose in the midst of the Mexican Revolution totally hit home with so many as that period of time created so many unusual and unpredictable stories. It was a great experience for me and my “Dos Gringos.”  If you have any questions about El Paso, ask me and I will send you to one with the answers.

Buy a copy of “Dos Gringos”  here.

“Dos Gringos” heads for El Paso (Uno Gringo, anyway,)

This week I will be in El Paso, Texas, my home town, to speak and sell and sign books at a number of places as part of the centenary of the Mexican Revolution there.  Talks are scheduled for the El Paso Museum of History, Barnes & Noble, and the Central Library. I hear all this is well advertised so I expect reasonably good audiences. I will be talking about the story behind my book, “Dos Gringos,” and about my father and grandfather’s part in all of that. I look forward to this as I have myself learned from giving the talks. I realize how much is into the story that comes from within. Underneath my father’s actual story, are known historical stories and some implied intuitive behavior. I am sometimes surprised at what is there, having come out from under the blankets of the past.

I will also be meeting old friends and making new ones. Coming “back home” after 50 years is a real experience. On my first trip back there three years ago I found so much had changed and so much was the same. This will be especially so in El Paso this time, rated the 2^nd safest city in America, and across the Rio Grande is Juarez, Mexico,  the most dangerous city in North America due to the drug cartels and the murders. So discussing the revolution of a hundred years ago within the present bloody atmosphere across the border will be interesting. I will have something for this space on that when I come back for sure.

Buy a copy of “Dos Gringos”  here.

Another Pancho Villa Story

Since writing “Dos Gringos,” the stories and characters from the Mexican Revolution keep creeping out of the cracks.

 I got a call from El Paso from a man about my age, who told me about his great- grandfather who was a building contractor in Ciudad Chihuahua in the 1890s. A young man he had hired fell off a ladder and hurt his leg. He was bnadaged and kept on the job. When the cast was removed the man left the job, but returned in a few weeks with some men and told his former employer he was going to change the world and wanted support. He was refused, but he returned in a few weeks with more men and again was refused. Then after some weeks he showed up again, with lots of men with guns. The contractor couldn’t refuse the young man who was, as you guessed, Pancho Villa.

 Villa was born in 1878 as Doroteo Arango, but at age 16 Arango changed his name to Francisco Villa after he shot and killed a hacienda owner who had reportedly assaulted his sister. The rest is history, and stories—and more stories. Some of them have got to be true.

Buy a copy of “Dos Gringos”  here.

Hooray for El Paso

 This summer, El Paso, Texas was named a 2010 All-America City.  The All-America City Award, given to ten communities each year by the National Civic League, is considered the “Nobel Prize” of city awards. El Paso is my hometown and the beginning and ending settings of my historical novel, “Dos Gringos,” set during the Mexican Revolution.

You wouldn’t guess that with Juarez, Mexico, a city of 1.7 million, and one of the deadliest cities in the world, that El Paso across the Rio Grande is the 2nd safest city in the United States for cities over 500,000 in population. (Honolulu is first safest.)

The violence in Juarez has been ongoing for nearly three years, with killings averaging between 200 and 300 a month, while crime in the City of El Paso continues to decrease. The 2nd safest city ranking is based on Uniformed Crime Report data compiled by CQ express numbers from 2008. El Paso’s 2009 numbers were lower than 2008, and 2010 numbers are currently lower than 2009. El Paso is a safe city, full of life and culture.

Buy a copy of “Dos Gringos”  here.

Jewish Lady breaks horses for Pancho Villa

Some years ago, at a summer camp in Maine, I heard a story I have never forgotten. A lady, hearing about my father’s story in the Mexican Revolution, now the published book  “Dos Gringos,” told me about her Jewish grandmother and Pancho Villa.

It seems the woman was a recognized horse-breaker during those hectic years, living in central Texas, maybe San Antonio. Determined to meet Pancho Villa, she drove her Cadillac sedan into Mexico to find the infamous revolutionary leader. She found him and, as you can imagine, he didn’t know what to do with this American. I understand he gave her his toughest horse, one which the men had failed to break. And she succeeded to break that horse. I don’t remember what the lady in Maine told me after that.

I would dearly like to know the whole story of this. If anyone reading this post has any ideas who this woman might be and reliable details of this really humorous story, I would really like to know. The Jews of Texas were historic and accomplished many things in those days. But a Jewish grandmother breaking a horse for Pancho Villa is indeed historic—and a bit unusual, don’t you think?

Buy a copy of “Dos Gringos”  here.