C.M Mayo Unearths the Hidden Side of a Storied Mexico City Neighborhood as She Personally Reads her Lively Account of a Stroll through Coyoacán. FASHIONTRIBES TRAVEL BLOG

Most authors would be thrilled to win even a single award for their writing...ahem...howeeeeevvvver, C.M. Mayo is apparently not most authors. Her deeply personal essay about that most intimate of environs, home, garnered not one but two awards: the Lowell Thomas Award for Travel Journalism in Best Personal Comment (2005), and the Washington Independent Writers Award for Best Essay (2005).

And now you can check out Mayo reading The Essential Francisco Sosa, or, Picadou's Mexico City. Lasting about a half hour, it's like one of those fun hang-out sessions where your fave storytelling pal entertains you with colorful travel stories. Mayo conjurs up a captivating peek into the boyhood town of President Carlos Salinas, replete with Boho artist types, colorful historical figures - beginning with Hernan Cortés, who established his capital here after having left Tenochtitlán a smoking ruin; the former King of Rumania, and even Leon Trotsky, who was assassinated as he worked at his desk, bashed in the head with an ice axe - to dancers, musicians, poets, writers, hipitecas, punks, jewelry vendors and tarot card readers; all against the backdrop of palms and figs, sun-silvered ficuses, and jacarandas matted with luxuriantly dripping bougainvillea.

A portion of the proceeds go to Presencia Animal - PresenciaAnimal.org - the dog and cat rescue organization in Mexico. "The work that Presencia Animal has is doing is urgently needed in Mexico," says Mayo. "I would be thrilled if the audio version of my essay, in part a dog's eye view of Mexico City, helps bring support to this truly wonderful and vital organization."

Available at either Tameme.org or CDBaby.com.

- Lesley Scott

Fashiontribes Books & Literature Travelogue C.M. Mayo The Essential Francisco Sosa, or, Picadou's Mexico City Mexico Presencia Animal Fashion Travel Pop Culture Fashion Expert