Michael McGarrity's home on the Net

In early April, I spoke at the Friends of the Silver City Public Library second annual "Literacy Alive" event. The organization is doing a wonderful job of building support in the community to encourage literacy among all ages with a particular emphasis on students. I was honored to be invited, and according to a report I recently received, a nice sum of money was raised during the event to continue literacy programs at the library and in the schools through the rest of the year. I am always delighted to do what I can to help libraries promote reading, literacy, and appreciation of the literary arts, and the Friends of the Silver City Public Library, all volunteers, and the local businesses that helped sponsor the program, deserve a big tip of the hat and a thank you. With the information coming out about the sorry state of affairs in the country when it comes to the reading comprehension and writing skills of students, we need communities, libraries, schools, and families to do everything possible to turn the tide.

Last month, we featured a story about the two College of Santa Fe creative writing students who were awarded Hillerman-McGarrity Scholarships for 2008. If you are interested in making a tax deductible gift with part of that check you're about to receive to help stimulate the economy, you may do so by sending it to the College of Santa Fe, 1600 St. Michael's Drive, Santa Fe, NM 87505. Be sure to note that it is for the scholarship.

W.W. Norton, the publishing company that broke me into print with Tularosa (1996) and Mexican Hat (1997), will be reissuing both titles in trade paperback in January, 2009. Pocket Books currently publishes the books in mass market format.

I'm three-fourths done with Dead or Alive and should have a completed manuscript to my publisher, Dutton, by early summer. It's on the schedule for a early 2009 release, so hopefully this time I won't get too much flak from folks complaining that I've made them wait far too long.

We're keeping Di Bingham's featured Aussie website up for another month so all you armchair globetrotters can spend a little more time down under.

Take care, stay safe, and do what you can to keep the glaciers from melting.



	Although we have better beaches than Hawaii <G>, kangas bounding down the main roads of cities and insects that are the most poisonous in the world, my pick for what truly embodies Australia's uniqueness (for both visitor and Aussies alike) can be found at this site