By Natalie Taylor
Once again this year our city has been billed as the prettiest in the world, this time by Travel and Leisure Magazine. Do we even need to be told this? Those of us living here know and experience this every single day. Just walk along any of the roads that lead to the Jardin—Correo, Aldama, Umaran, Hidalgo… any of those walks will stun with brilliant colors on buildings, colors that change by the hour depending on the angle of the sun. Or go up to any of the terraces in town, whether a restaurant or bar, and gaze at the not too distant mountains that encircle our city. Add a spectacular sunset and let the beauty sink in. For those of us living here, there is no better place on earth.
Were we to stop with that, we would be speaking only of superficial beauty, and as lovely as that is in and of itself, it is not enough. Fortunately, once you begin digging deeper, you find out that San Miguel de Allende has a profound and beautiful soul, as magnificent as it external beauty.
We can be proud to say that for a city our size—about 200,000 population—we have cultural and artistic events that one could only find in a large metropolis. From opera to rhythm and blues; from writers groups and book clubs to an International Writers Conference, from minor local craftsmen to artists known around the world, we have them all. What is even more amazing is that all of this is present in both English and Spanish.
As someone fluent, and a native speaker of both languages, I straddle the two cultures with ease. I am amazed at the great talent on both sides—both in literature and theater. But it saddens me that there is not enough mingling between the two. Some, yes, but there could be so much more. Like two streams running parallel but never meeting, there is so much talent in the waters of both, such potential in mingling and exchanging what each has to offer! To begin this convergence we have a wonderful event sponsored by the Prose and Poetry Café.
Poetry and Prose Cafe Is Pleased to Present:
Local Writers in Spanish, with English Translations, Thursday, November 14, 5:00pm-6:00pm, Café Murmullo on Ancha de San Antonio 24 (open air venue).
Suggested Donation: $100mxn
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