WHERE IT'S AVAILABLE / NEW FACEBOOK PAGE

I haven't checked this blog in quite awhile and just saw all the magnificent posts. Thanks! I had a wonderful presentation in Patzcuaro, Michoacan in June and am scheduling more booksignings around the Texas Rio Grande Valley where I live. We're developing a marketing plan to do presentations at other venues throughout the United States. If anyone has any ideas, please feel free to share. Just email me at WhiteheadTravis@hotmail.com,
 The book is available at both Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. Also, there are lots more stories, pictures, and videos on my new Facebook page, "Artisans of Michoacan." Please pull it up and "Like" it. I need to get as many "Likes" as possible. The Facebook page is where I do most of my correspondence about my book now. Sorry I haven't responded to any of these posts.

Thanks for all the great interest.

Travis M. Whitehead

THE BOOK IS FINALLY OUT!

Hey, everybody:
     My book, "Artisans of Michoacan By Their Hands" is finally out. You can find it on Amazon.com under the title "Artisans of Michoacan."
     My journey to the completion of this book is illustrated perfectly by my favorite line from a poem by Robert Frost called "The Road Not Taken."

     "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
     "I took the one less traveled by,
     "And that has made all the difference."

WHO IS AN ARTISAN?

I get annoyed with people who think they know more about the artisans than the artisans do. If someone is creating something, whether it's for commercial use or for strictly artistic merit, that person is an artisan. Regardless of the quality or lack of quality of someone's work, he or she is an artisan. A friend of mine created a delicious Thanksgiving dinner that she learned how to make from her mother. She is an artisan. She's a teacher. When she creates a wonderful experience for a student, she's being an artisan. When I write a story for the newspaper, I've created something and that makes me an artisan. When someone creates a bouquet of flowers, that person is an artisan.
I feel it is incorrect to define who is an artisan and who isn't just because their work is utilitarian or artistic. Either way, it's still a creation, and therefore qualifies as a handcraft. Regardless of the quality, it's a creation, and therefore qualifies the creator as an artisan. Every artisan has a story to tell, whether he or she has won many awards or none at all. Let's not miss the point of what's really happening in Michoacan. It's a hot bed of creation, filled by a powerful energy emanating from the hearts of every artisan and transmitted through their talented hands. The real importance isn't the quality or lack of quality, or whether it's utilitarian or artistic, but the very fact that they are doing it.

RELEASE DATE

The Mexican Consul in Brownsville, Texas has scheduled a book release for Jan. 22, 2013. 

MEXICAN CONSUL'S COMMENTS

Hey, everybody!
     Brenda Nettles Riojas of Otras Voces Publishing has informed me that Rodolfo Quilantan Arenas, the Mexican Consul in Brownsville, Texas, is very impressed with the book. He's almost finished reading it and he says nothing like this has ever been done. He will be writing a forward for the book very soon, and then it's off to the printer!

     Stay tuned!

     Travieso

UPDATE ON PUBLICATION!

Hey, everybody! I just wanted to let you know we're making steady progress on the publication of this book. Right now we're looking at a release date of sometime within the next couple of months, possibly as soon as October. The cover has already been created, the editing is finished, and it has an ISBN number. Please keep checking in. Travis

YOU CAN STILL SUPPORT THE ARTISANS!!!

Hey, everybody!
If you're a little uneasy about visiting the artisans in Michoacan to buy their crafts, you can still support them by purchasing their crafts here. Mexico by Hand, based in California, just returned from Michoacan with lots of wonderful things for sale. Check them out on their Web site, which is located in my list of links.

Thanks!

Travis