Michael Wiegers from Copper Canyon at Cinco Puntos

Bobby Byrd, Lee Byrd, Ben Saenz, Michael Wiegers, Johnny Byrd

Michael is holding a copy of Incantations which we gifted him.

Michael Wiegers, Executive Editor at Copper Canyon Press, was visiting El Paso on his way to Marfa, Texas. He was staying with Ben Saenz. Copper Canyon is publishing Ben's new book of poems The Book of What Remains and he stopped by to stay with Ben and see El Paso. Part of his El Paso tour, of course, is Ben's other publisher, Cinco Puntos Press. Copper Canyon and Cinco Puntos are both distributed nationally by Consortium Book Sales and Distribution, and we've been colleagues and friends for years. That's one of the joys of independent publishing--knowing, and sharing with, fellow publishers. This colleagiality makes for a diverse and intellectually stimulating world of books and ideas. After 17 years of working full time at Copper Canyon Michael is enjoying the luxury of a sabbatical--an extended stay in Marfa as a guest of the Lannan Foundation. He's working on a translation of a Mexico City poet. I forgot the man's name, and so I hope Michael reads this and supplies us with the details.