Issue #11
February 25, 2024

My first thought on driving into Mazunte was, why is everyone half naked? My next thought was, how can I have as little fabric touching my body as possible? A tiny coastal town in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, Mazunte gets hot – above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius), plus serious humidity. If you go there, as we did earlier this month, at no time will you be entirely free of salt, sweat, or sand – certainly not all three at once.

If that sounds unappealing, it might be because I’m feeling a little bit protective. Mazunte also has a glorious swimming beach and several crescents of golden sand, spectacular sunrises and sunsets, plus ceviche and coconut paletas. Glass windows are a rarity, and most if not all accommodations are open-air, many of them Robinson-Crusoe affairs with mosquito nets over the beds, palapa roofs, and views of the Pacific Ocean.

If you’ve been wondering where the hippies went, they’re in Mazunte. So are backpackers, spiritual seekers, artists and artisans, and regular tourists from Mexico and abroad. Some came and never left – our Italian AirBnB host told us that of about 1,500 permanent residents, a third are foreigners. While you can certainly find plenty of meat and seafood, the town is a haven for vegetarians and vegans. You’d have to go around 40 miles (65 kilometers) east or west to find anything resembling a large resort.

Here’s the thing: Mazunte is on the cusp of change. I know, I know, change is everywhere; it’s everyone’s lament. But there’s this impressive new highway. Until last month, getting between the Oaxacan coast and Oaxaca City required either a flight or an epic drive – eight-plus hours on twisting, bumping mountain roads. But five days before we picked up our rental car at Mazunte’s closest airport, laborers completed the long-rumored new highway connecting the coast to Oaxaca City. We drove it last week, and at just four smooth hours, it’s a driver’s dream. Buses have already switched their routes.

Easier highway access means more people are bound to come to Mazunte, as well as to its equally chill neighbors on this lovely stretch of coast, tiny San Agustinillo, nudist-friendly Zipolite, and working class Puerto Angel. There’ll be more AC and glass windows, and fewer insects in the rooms. I just hope it happens slowly.

PS – If you’re Oaxaca-bound, write to me and I’ll tell you about the swimming-and-snorkeling beach an hour’s drive east of Mazunte.

A coco frío at Rinconcito beach; Punta Cometa at sunset.

From Writers At AWP

Before I arrived on the Oaxacan coast, I spent three days in Kansas City attending AWP – the annual Association of Writers and Writing Programs conference, where writers, editors, and publishers come to learn from one another. (Plus have fun and/or spiral into anxiety.) These are some of my favorite quotes from some of my favorite panels.

Advice for writers on choosing and researching your characters’ jobs:

Ask yourself, “How do their jobs bleed over into every part of their lives?” – Sequoia Nagamatsu, author of, most recently, How High We Go in the Dark

“Always, always find someone to interview if it’s not a job you know first hand.” – Rebecca Makai, author of, most recently, I Have Some Questions for You

“Think of categories of jobs that fulfill story needs … I have the shape of a story and I’m auditioning jobs to fit in.” – Joy Baglio, short story writer

“Travel. Talk to unexpected people.” – SN

“Not enough books are written about blue-collar or minimum-wage jobs.” – RM

Advice for authors planning bookstore events:

“Nothing puts butts in seats like the group text … text the people you love and tell them they fucking better be at your launch event.” – Josh Cook of Porter Square Books in Cambridge, Massachusetts

“The best ‘in conversation’ partner is someone you have chemistry with.” – author and publisher Casey Plett

“The best events are the ones where the author understands it’s a performance.” – JC

“Don’t go over time.” – Meg Reid, executive director of the Hub City Writers Project in Spartanburg, South Carolina

“Send thank you notes.” – Angie Cruz, author of Dominicana and How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water

Advice for authors on using social media:

“Be authentic.” – Cleyvis Natera, author of Neruda on the Park

“Never in human history has it been as possible to blow yourself up like Wile E. Coyote.” – Maurice Carlos Ruffin, author of The American Daughters

“I never do [social media] at the expense of my writing.” – CN

“It doesn’t matter how many followers you have if you write a crappy book.” – CN

On the importance, for authors, of being a good literary citizen:

“Build long relationships with local librarians, bookstores, and literary organizations.” – MR

“The literary world is full of irritable, anxious people. There is no reason not to be kind and humble.” – CP

“Protect yourself within your community by not developing a reputation for being a dick.” – Lisa Lucas, senior vice president and publisher of Pantheon and Schocken Books at Penguin Random House

Help for writers at AWP 2024.

Five Faves: Travel & Food Sites

Following my mini-rant in the last issue about how hard it is to find useful travel information in the wasteland that is Google search, here’s a more cheerful list – some of my favorite publications covering travel or food. A few are useful in practical ways, others  showcase top-notch writing. Some do both.

Outside. Now nearly a half century old, Outside still offers some of the best-told true tales about nature, solo sports, and travelers who go off the rails. Rounded out with travel advice and gear reviews.

Eater. The food geeks who put together the Eater restaurant lists are up to date and on their game. (Omar Alonso created the Eater Oaxaca page.)

Deskbound Traveller. A “deliberately impractical” guide to the best new travel lit.

Yolo Intel and Yolo Journal. Smart, savvy travel advice and inspiration, created by a longtime magazine editor.

Off Assignment. Full disclosure: More than a decade ago, I was involved in some of the earliest planning meetings for Off Assignment in a Brooklyn Heights living room. It’s been amazing to watch it evolve into what it is today: “A home for literary essays about journeys, broadly defined.”

Let’s Talk

Write to me at eavesdrop AT elisabetheaves.com. I read every email, and I’ll try to answer every question.

Happy trails,
Elisabeth