“I come from a matriarchal tradition, where women—and I say this strongly—are the fundamental engine of a family”.

“Vengo de una escuela matriarcal en donde las mujeres, y lo digo tajante, son el motor fundamental para que una familia funcione”.

“Se regalan muchos gatos.”

The title on the cover, sun-faded and almost illegible: Notes on a Pinwheel.

“In this project, I feel a strong sense of belonging—to my culture, my village, and my family.”

“Tengo mucho sentido de pertenencia por el proyecto, por mi cultura, por mi pueblo y por la familia.”

Sam’s aim drifts again
beyond the pins, just the void
licking its own teeth.

“We keep looking for Home and not finding it, so I thought that if we looked for this Pit, we’d be sure not to find it, which would be a Good Thing, because then we might find something that we weren’t looking for, which might be just what we were looking for, really.”

“In Oaxaca, we have everything. Since we’re in the valleys, rain is a blessing.”

“En Oaxaca lo tenemos todo. Como estamos entre los valles, las lluvias son bendición.”

“Helping my mom made me feel in my element, very natural.”

“Ayudando a mi mamá me sentía en mi elemento, me sentía yo muy natural.”

“Here at my restaurant, the concept is to feed the people, to satisfy the hunger they bring. I serve so they can fill their stomachs and hearts.”

“Acá en mi restaurante, el concepto es servir al pueblo, saciar el hambre que trae la gente de mi pueblo. Yo sirvo para que llenen su estómago y su corazón.”

That is the magic in the simple recipe of human connection.

Mysticism and haggling are refined pastimes in the Mexican zeitgeist.

No traces of smoke should rise from the ground. Everybody walks away, trusting their joint efforts.

I sat on the icy cart in a serpentine journey through the legs of market goers.

One could fill an entire day talking about Monarch butterflies.

The inevitable fire that creates and consumes all of human endeavors.