Description

An Accidental Pilgrim, A Broken Hummingbird, and the Moon

by Maia Williams 

Three amazing writers, all with strong ties to San Miguel de Allende and wildly diverse backgrounds, will share their new books at the February 8th Poetry and Prose Café.

Maria Caponi was born and grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina. An only child with imaginary friends, she spent a large part of her waking hours making up stories and working on mathematical equations. She has a Ph.D. in Physics and Astronomy from the University of Maryland, and a Creative Fiction Writing certificate with distinction from the University of California, Los Angeles. When she is not traveling, she lives in Manhattan Beach, Ca. In her debut memoir An Accidental Pilgrim, a memoir in prose and verse, the non-religious widow of Jewish heritage takes readers on a transformative journey along the rugged and challenging “El Camino de Santiago” trail. The book will be released on February 14, 2024. Maria is currently completing a collection of poems and working on a series of personal essays. www.mariacaponi.com 

Ann Marie Jackson is the co-founder of San Miguel’s microlending organization Mano Amiga and former Vice President of Casita Linda. Early in her career, after earning degrees from Stanford and Harvard, Jackson joined the U.S. Department of State to promote human rights in China and other East Asian and Pacific Island nations. She has worked with Human Rights Watch, A Better Chance, and Internews to further social justice causes and advance respect for human rights. Ann Marie’s first novel, The Broken Hummingbird, set in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, wrestles with marital dissolution and cultural dissonance by following a woman’s struggle to truly know her new country and her own heart. It is a 2023 International Book Awards Finalist for Women’s Fiction and American Fiction Awards Finalist for Women’s Fiction and Best New Fiction. Her essays and short stories appear in Mexico News Daily, Sanctuary Magazine, GirlTalkHQ, San Miguel Life, Solamente en San Miguel, and more. A portion of the proceeds from book sales benefit Casita Linda and Mano Amiga. 

Judyth Hill, poet, maestra, editor, is the author of the internationally acclaimed poem, Wage Peace, set to music, performed, and recorded by choirs and orchestras. She is the author of nine poetry collections including Dazzling Wobble, Men Need Space, and her most recent, Writing Down the Moon, a collaboration with visionary artist Mary Meade weaves a luminous tapestry of word and image. Judyth is President Emerita of San Miguel PEN, co-creator/director of Poetry Mesa, a global organization serving poets and poetry, Editor-in-Chief of the hybrid publishing company, Wild Rising Press, and a certified Anusara Yoga Special Subjects instructor. She conducts workshops at conferences world-round and on Zoom and leads Muse on the Move Culinary Adventures in Ireland, on the Camino de Santiago, Italy, Taos, and Slovenia. 

Admission is free, though we rely on donations to underwrite the costs of graphic design, promotional efforts, venue and sound rentals. We are an all-volunteer organization. We present local and visiting writers, established and emerging. Our reading series typically meets on the second Thursdays, October through March. Books written by presenters will be available for purchase at our no-commission Café Bookshop. 

Please arrive a few minutes early, seating is limited.