Trouble in Tucson -- Again
Wendall—every other Thursday
Like my blog mates, I’ve just returned from the Left Coast Crime conference in Tucson, where I was finally able to
meet fellow MIE authors Annamaria, Kwei, and Guest of Honor Sujata in person, reconnect
with Jeff and the wonderful Barbara Zilly, and see and speak to many other
wonderful authors and readers.
It took place at the El Conquistador resort, which was
particularly gorgeous in the early morning and late afternoon. My first morning walk. The afternoon view from our balcony.
It made me think about how certain places, certain
landscapes, circle back in our lives, gathering meaning each time. Tucson is
one of those for me.
My grandfather had four sisters. My Great Aunt Dee was the
adventurous one, leaving their Myrtle Beach, S.C. farm for Arizona when she was
in her twenties. I would see pictures of her standing by saguaros and laughing.
Her sisters would go to visit and come back with inappropriate pictures like
this (!), taken in 1962, and tales of chiles and cacti and sky. My four great aunts on one of their Arizona/Mexico trips... As a child, I ate those stories up and went to visit as soon
as I could. It was my first real encounter with the West and the beginning of
my love affair with skies like these. Behind the El Conquistador Years later, when I was working in the film business, my
director boss took on a television movie called Wheels of Terror , with
the tag line: “Evil waits. With the motor running.” I didn’t mind the content,
because I got to live in a hotel in Tucson and spend every day and night out in
the same stunning landscape that surrounds the conference hotel.
I also got per diem, most of which wound up in the cash registers of the
extraordinary used and vintage stores on 4th Avenue. I would spend my days off
going through racks and racks of 40s and 50s cocktail dresses and beaded
sweaters, all available for around five dollars, and lugging dozens of
treasures home. I still have this 40s dress from those days and always feel
like Irene Dunne or Ginger Rogers when I wear it. Dress snagged from Tucson vintage shop for a song. A few years later, one of my dear friends asked if I wanted
to meet her at the stunning, historic Arizona Inn. This oasis in the city
boasts newspapers on wooden holders, ice cream socials, and quiet. It became my
go-to writing retreat in the summers, where it was so hot the rooms went on
sale. It is truly like taking a trip back in time and if you ever get the
chance to visit, do. Tichnor Brothers, Publisher, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons So, I arrived last week at the LCC conference already in
love, and the grounds of the hotel only reinforced my passion for the place. Looking toward the entrance. A view of the pool.
At the conference, I was lucky
enough to be on a panel about “Creating Memorable Characters,” with authors
Jamie Mason, D.M. Rowell, and Celeste Connally. Naomi
Hirahara was a fabulous moderator, even though, as you can see in the second photo, I don't think she believed me. The "Creating Memorable Characters" panel. I don't think Naomi's buying it.
I'm sorry Annamaria didn’t get to see enough wildlife. We had a few encounters and it was definitely my first real life viewing of a javelina, as we spotted two at dawn beneath our balcony. We thought at first it might be dogs, but they were peccaries, all right. Javelinas under our balcony. Hard to see, but there! Here's a National Parks photo so you can see what they actually look like. From the National Parks cams. We also chased a Vermillion flycatcher until it finally landed on this branch. These gorgeous birds were all over the property. Tucson. I can’t wait to come back.
-- Wendall
P.S. Annamaria, Kwei, Michael Stanley, and I all have
articles in the new issue of Mystery
Readers Journal , out today.
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