Throughout history, the agave has provided sustenance in myriad ways: its leaves and spines have been used for building, its fibers for clothing, its pulp for spirits, and so much more.
This plant has such a wide physical and spiritual reach, it makes sense that it would permeate culture in the same way, touching different arts, practices and disciplines. The Agave Fest revolves around the idea that the agave shapes this region– physically through spirits like sotol and mezcal, and figuratively through poetry, music, history, and border narratives.
Last weekend, writers, musicians, artists and academics gathered in the high desert to explore the agave’s centuries-long reach, and Marfa Public Radio was on the scene, recording talks and snapping photos. We’re dedicating this Desert Dispatch to the festival to share those conversations and moments with you.
Poetry
The poet Margaret Randall has always created work on and across borders. Written over periods, including when Randall was exiled from Mexico and the US, Randall’s photography, writing, and translation work is in a kind of constant motion, crossing boundaries even when Randall physically could not.
In conversation with Randall, the Roberto Tejada asked about the presence of time in her work. In response, Randall talked about her interest in ancient sites and ruins, particularly in the American Southwest: “there are so many sites that are just incredible, really, that you go in, and you actually feel this energy of people who left at one point, and but they might return tomorrow, you know, that's the sort of sense you have,” said Randall.
Something about that really struck me. If ruins and ancient sites are inhabited by the energies of those who once stood within them, perhaps a poem has the power to crystallize that energy, to deliver a message from the past. A poem can be that “return,” so to speak.
In that spirit, here’s one poem she read, written in the 80s:
Without Warning
At the bus stop and out of the corner of my eye
I see myself waiting,
awkward bundle at my feet.
I am wearing the same sky blue fleece
though it hangs looser against my body.
My hair, still long and full and brown,
frames the younger me in her oblivion.
I swerve and almost hit the car to my right,
snap my neck
to get one last glimpse of myself
before people I loved
took what wasn’t theirs,
a child stopped calling home,
and temperature threatened my planet.
Without warning I make a U-turn
and slow way down
to observe every detail
of my younger self.
I even consider a shouted question
might bring an answer
against all mathematical odds.
She looks straight at me and smiles.
I smile back
and keep on driving,
hoping to keep
my appointment with myself.
Check out Randall’s reading and conversation with Roberto Tejada here.
In Conversation
Through the next few weeks, Marfa public radio will be broadcasting all of the talks from Agave festival– discussions spanning everything from ecology, to history, to poetry, to art. You can check out all of the talks on our website. Here’s the lineup:
Meredith Dreiss and David Brown on the film 'Agave is Life: This year's festival kicked off with a screening of the 2014 documentary "Agave is Life," written and directed by Meredith Dreiss and David Brown. In this talk, the duo discuss the film, why they made it and answer audience questions.
The impacts of industrial harvesting: In this talk, biologist Patricia Colunga discusses henequen, a type of agave native to the Mexican state of Yucatan. The plant produces a tough fiber used for making ropes, twine and other products. Colunga talks about the industrial harvesting of henequen and the consequences this kind of production has on culture and biodiversity.
Territory and agave culture: In this panel discussion, a group featuring a mezcal producer, an anthropologist and the editors of the publication "Sacual Editorial" discuss the relationship between people, plants and place.
Archeologist Charles Koenig on the region's deep history and connection to agave: Koenig, an archeologist with the Center for Big Bend Studies, discusses new research into the agave industry in the region's prehistoric era, agave feasting and the significance of agave lechuguilla.
Poet Margaret Randall reads from her life's work, from the 80s to today: The works Randall reads include the poems "Without Warning," "About the Light," and "Calling My Name."
Q and A: Randall on the power of poetry, translation and publication: After her reading, Margaret Randall spoke with poet Roberto Tejada. The two discussed Margaret’s life journey, from her work in poetry and photography to her activism.
The history of "Cibolo Rock" through maps, language and photos: Oscar Rodriguez and Dr. Nakaya Flotte discuss the history of "Elephant Rock," a well-known roadside attraction in Far West Texas. The pair are part of a newly formed group that has launched a campaign to rename the landmark, arguing that the more appropriate name is “cibolo,” a regional Spanish term for “bison.”
Artist and poet Sherwin Bitsui reads 'Caravan' and other works: Bitsui is the author of "Shapeshift," "Dissolve" and "Flood Song." At this year's Agave Festival, he also read new work he's writing.
Álvaro Enrigue reads from 'You Dreamed of Empires’: In this talk, Enrigue reads three passages from "You Dreamed of Empires" — all in Spanish. Moderator Tim Johnson provides the English translation.
Disinformation, news deserts and new modes of media distribution: PBS’ Ricardo Sandoval Palos moderates a conversation with journalists from the U.S. and Mexico. Participants include Alfredo Corchado, Angela Kocherga, Javier Garza Ramos and Steve Fisher.
Caló
Mitote- The featured word for this week is mitote. It’s a Nahuatl (Aztec) word that means a ceremonial event. In Caló, it means a big to-do, commotion, or disturbance. In this week’s Caló episode , the mitote arose from an encounter between two raqueteros, people who spin yarns and webs of intrigue.
Caló is a borderland dialect. You can find more episodes here.
Other recent programming:
In the Big Bend area town of Alpine, recovery efforts are underway after a fire last month destroyed a historic building in a central part of town. Multiple business owners lost their livelihoods in the fire, but locals have also described a heavy emotional loss, given the generations of memories and history tied to the building. Travis Bubenik has that story here.
In Far West Texas, the Rio Grande serves as an oasis in the desert, and for years, It’s been a draw to Big Bend tourists, who come out to canoe or raft. But for the second year in a row, parts of the Rio Grande in the Big Bend have gone dry, and the tourism industry has to adapt to a new reality — one in which parts of the river may disappear entirely. Listen to that story from me here.
Mountain lions are the West’s most elusive predator. Sometimes called “ghost cats,” mountain lions are secretive creatures, but a study from Alpine’s Borderlands Research takes a rare look at the mountain lion diet. listen to that story here.
High Five
The Agave Festivities included a Disco Agave pop up, featuring DJs and live music. Artist Mateo Galindo DJ'd at the event.
Here are 5 songs from his playlist to groove to this week:
- Cumbia Squares - DJ Lengua
- Paga La Cuenta Sinverguenza - Manzanita
- Saturno 2000 - La Rebajada de Los Sonideros 1962
- La Danza del Petrolero - Los Wembler's De Iquitos Cumbia Triste (feat. Grupo Kual)
- Lo Que Viene - Eleoth Garcia, Fuerza Regida & LEGADO 7 (En Vivo)
And, you can listen to a special Marfa Mystery Hour hosted by Tim Johnson and Chris Dyer, featuring a conversation with the creators of the documentary "Agave Is Life," on our Mixcloud.
PSAs
Front Street Books will be hosting a presentation by photographer James Evans tonight from 5:30 to 7:30pm at the Granada Theater at 207 East Holland Street in Alpine.
James will be showing slides of his work from the 20th anniversary edition of his book Big Bend Pictures with a discussion and book signing to follow.
For more information, visit fsbooks.com.
If you have PSAs you want on the air or in this newsletter, head to www.marfapublicradio.org/psa.
