The Southwest Word Fiesta kicks off today in Silver City. The weekend event attracts readers, journalists, artists, and authors from across the region to take part in panel discussions, workshops, and talks. Anthony Moreno talked with Ted Presler, Co-chair with the Fiesta to learn more.
Anthony Moreno: The Southwest Word Fiesta is underway in Silver City through Sunday. The event celebrates many genres of written or spoken word, and features a diverse lineup of sessions. Here to share more is Ted Presler, Co-chair of the Fiesta. Ted, can you share a little bit about what folks can enjoy at this year's event?
Ted Presler: Well, we have 36 panels and we have over 70 authors tuning in, either in person or via zoom, because of the volume that we have and the limited amount of zoom energies here at the college, we have done a basic one zoom number with breakout rooms, so people tune in via zoom they'll get a breakout session which could be ABC&D.
Anthony Moreno: There is going to be someone joining you who our listeners may be familiar with, and that is John Burnett, former NPR Correspondent who is going to be speaking at the event this year. Can you share with us a little bit more about that?
Ted Presler: I tell you, what a pleasure, I was listening to Scott Simon on Saturday one day and John Burnett announced he was retiring, and as I finished the Saturday program, I called a local friend of mine, Tom Hester, who is from Austin, actually Lubbock and I said do me a favor with your connections. Can you find out John Burnett’s contact? Two and a half weeks weeks later I had all that and I picked up the phone and called John and told him I'd like to have him as our keynote speaker here at the Fiesta on Saturday the 28th of October. Anhe said that sounds interesting. And I said, look, I'm calling you from Silver City. Let me tell you about that. And John said, Ted, you don't have to say anything more. My wife and I have had dinner at the Little Toad on Bullard in Silver City at least twice. We love your town, and it was the easiest sale I've ever made in my life, and what a what a great guy, he is going to give us an excellent talk. It’s going to take place on Saturday night here in Silver City and it's going to be held at the Murray Hotel on Broadway here, both in person and via zoom. His talk is Reporters Notebook: 40 years of Looking for Hope in the Cynical World.
Anthony Moreno: Well, and I'm sure there's a lot of excitement about that. Former NPR National Correspondent John Burnett giving his talk at 7:00 p.m. Saturday night at the Murray Hotel. There's a lot of stuff for folks who enjoy reading, and of course for authors, but you also have workshops that are catered toward artists and creative types in the area. Can you talk a little bit about that?
Ted Presler: Well, first of all, since we're an outdoor destination for many people, we're going to have John Fayhee who used to be the founder of Mountain Gazette and has lived here for many years and is an avid hiker and writer. He's going to have a panel entitled Outdoors: Off the Beaten Track and he's going to be pulling in two or three other authors who are going to talk about the outdoors. We're going to have a panel on environmental history, which is part of a presentation of a collection and anthology.
Anthony Moreno: OK, I also saw some events that are tailored around photography and film as well. Can you share a little bit about that?
Ted Presler: Oh, I sure, can. We're going to have Mike Greenberg and Mark Seth Lender and our own Silver Cityite Michael Berman, who was a beautiful landscape, black and white photographer, Two separate sessions on photography. One is going to be here at the university (WNMU) and the other one is going to be at Light Art Space on Broadway in Silver City. And speaking of film, your own NMSU Gila Film School has agreed to come here and talk about how they have put together their films and how the college students and MSU are learning about how to take films, and they'll probably share a few sneak peeks for us and talk about how the role of documentary filmmaking is in understanding our beautiful wilderness, which, of course is the Gila area.
Anthony Moreno: Ted Presler serves as Co-chair of the Southwest Word Fiesta happening in Silver City this weekend. You can learn more about the event at www.swwordfiesta.org. Ted, thank you for taking the time to talk with us.
Ted Presler: Well, thank you.
