XXXI Feria Internacional del Libro

Huck Finn got me into the Palacio de Mineria and the XXXI Feria Internacional del Libro in Mexico D.F.

The Feria Internacional del Libro is a two-week celebration of books. The location, the Palace of Mines, is a wonderful 18th century building in the Centro of Mexico City. During the Feria del Libro, its stately halls and terraces are filled with thousands of books and displays from dozens and dozens of publishers from around Mexico - novels, art books, science books, children's stories, medical books, all kinds of books. Every hour, various conference rooms are filled with literary talks and presentations and roundtables. I was deeply impressed by this effusive display of honor and affection for literature. Leer es estar vivo, is the festival's theme. To read is to be alive.

The conference organizers wanted to commemorate Mark Twain because this year is the centenario of his death. It was an interesting proposition, to speak about this American author to a Mexican audience, and to discuss a novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which is so deeply immersed in its time and place on the Mississippi River, and which uses vernacular language to remarkable effect. How would it translate? Well. Many of the audience members had read Huckleberry Finn - twice. They asked thoughtful questions about Twain's development as a writer, about the status of the novel today, about themes conveyed by the relationship between Huck and Jim.

This is what great stories do; they connect us across time and space.

Read books.