The Mentor
Charles “Chuck” Whitney joined the Journalism faculty at the University of Texas at Austin my sophomore year there, and I was lucky to land in his first reporting class. He taught with such rigor and panache, he would have been…
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The Oracle Says…
Feliz 2019! I hope your new year is off to a grand start. Before it ambles any farther, here is a little update from my corner. With 2017 concluding in a CT-Scan that released me from cancer treatment, I deemed…
Resurrection
What got me through abdominal surgery, three rounds of chemo, and hair loss? First: all of you. And second, the hope of resurrecting my book tour for ALL THE AGENTS & SAINTS. It gives my heart joy to say: I’m…
Rejoice!
Beautiful people! I am relieved to share that 2017 concluded with the sweetest acronym I know: NED, or No Evidence of Disease. The CT-Oracle revealed that surgery + three cycles of chemo have wiped my abdominal cavity clean. This rollercoaster…
De-Tour
My friends, I am so sad to say: life has thrown a mighty curveball. Since returning home from the first leg of the book tour last Monday, a CT-Scan has revealed that my left ovary has sprouted a massive (22×11…
Indigenous People’s Day
As more and more communities across the United States are (righteously) celebrating Indigenous People’s Day instead of Columbus Day, I thought it time to share my latest essay: “Chiefing in Cherokee: Commodifying a Culture to Save It,” which has been published in the…
May Day Update
Happy International Workers’ Day! Hard to believe it’s been a year since my last blog post. I recently joined Twitter and Instagram @SElizondoGriest, and am much better at keeping those updated, so join me there, if you’d like. One reason…
Music Without Borders
Last December, I organized a binational concert at the San Diego/Tijuana border wall featuring violinist Jennifer Curtis. Here’s the story, from the Oxford American’s blog: Despite its cheerful name and oceanic view, Friendship Park—the swath of land where San Diego meets Tijuana—has…
Three Nations Crossing
Happy Autumn, everyone! Just wanted to share my dispatch from the Mohawk Nation of Akwesasne, published this month by Witness. Below is a taste; here is the full story. They emerge from the longhouse, a dozen at least, elegant as…
Code 500
On this day celebrating Mexico’s Independence, I toast the Oxford American for publishing my essay “Code 500,” about witnessing the aftermath of a border-crossing in the desert jungle of Brooks County, Texas. Below is an excerpt; please email me for the full…