From Fellow C.M. Mayo : In the years of writing, researching, and revising my novel, T he Last Prince of the Mexican Empire (Unbridled Books, May 5, 2009), I enjoyed several intensely productive stays at VCCA. A few sparkles: In the corn crib studio: Drafting General Achille Bazaine's flashback scenes of 1850s Algeria, Arab music on the CD player, snow falling on the skylight. At dinner: Chatting with novelist Josephine Humphreys about archives and the influence of the dead. By the fireplace in the living room : Reading these same pages with Peter Behrens , reading from his novel then in-progress, The Law of Dream s. Eating potato chips with poets Sandra Beasley and Alfred Corn . Trying not to be embarrassed when Alfred (bless him) corrected my French pronunciation. In Sweet Briar's Library : After checking e-mail, reading Virgil. Rectangles of autumn light falling on the old tables. One sunny afternoon outside my studio by the barn: Finding Peter Behrens,
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