Seis de Mayo (with pictures)

The pictures come from last night's reading of The Best Mariachi in the World/El Mejor Mariachi del Mundo at the Barnes and Noble at the corner of Broadway and 82nd Street in Manhattan, co-sponsored by P.S. 87. My reading of each page in English was followed by a reading of the same page in Spanish by a group of four P.S. 87 students who took turns.

Besides reading and signing some books, I got to meet some delightful parents and children, as well as the dear parents of my friend and colleague the London-based poet and novelist Sue Guiney.

The mariachis pictured are members of New York's Mariachi Bustamante, established in 1970 and the first mariachi ensemble in the Northeast. The group appeared in Woody Allen's Scenes from a Mall (1991), and their work was used in the soundtrack of the 2006 documentary Maquilapolis. Muscial director Don Agustín Bustamante also appeared as a musician in the 2007 film Enchanted. To state the obvious, or understate it, they are really, really good.

I want to thank Lou and Ann of the 82nd and Broadway Barnes and Noble for making all this possible and for making me feel very welcome for the event.