The Tucson Blues

Exclusive photos and video of me at TFOB!

Did you catch me on the news? KGUN 9’s José Zozaya and his team met me at Fantasy Comics to discuss my work and its relationship to my hometown. Click here to watch the video!

It’s been nine years since I left Tucson.

I remember when I decided I needed to go. I was at the end of my rope. Two local publications stole a story I was working on and ran it the same week. But that was the straw that broke this camel’s back.

I burned those bridges and friendships. Time and distance helped me forgive them. Other factors made it clear that I needed to leave Tucson to appreciate and miss it.

Boy, I miss Tucson.

It’s hard to believe I packed my things in my Maza beater and drove to Santa Monica at 3 a.m. after my last bar shift at Mr. Heads. I was like a thief in the night. The thought of leaving my home made me sick to my stomach. The weather quickly made me feel a lot better about leaving. Moisture in the air. Who knew?

Usually, when someone leaves Tucson, they celebrate, middle fingers in the air as they get drunk and head to Portland, Austin, Los Angeles, or New York. Then you see the same person at the bar where the party was held back with their tail between their legs. Now, I’ve almost been that guy. There were years when I was ready to go home.

But I made L.A. my home.

J. Gonzo and I discussed the process of making La Voz De M.A.Y.O. Tata Rambo during Maurice Rafael Magaña’s class at The University of Arizona on February 29th, 2024.

Thankfully, I don’t have to stay here. There is a world where I return to Tucson for the affordable rent—and the best food city in the world, according to UNESCO.

But this last trip made it hard to leave. I got to give a talk at the U of A with Gonzo, be a presenting author at the Tucson Festival of Books, see some friends, cook with some friends, make new friends, and spin some music in the dead of night on the radio. Despite being there longer than a week, there wasn’t enough time in the day to see everyone and eat everything. I’ll be back, Tucson. Maybe for good if you’re lucky.

If you missed me at TFOB, thank Start Up Unidos’ Stephane Bermudez for snaping me in action with my dear friends Dr. Lydia Otero, Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez, and the moderator I’m not related to, Selina Barajas.

TFOB Tucsones Voces Panel 2024