Jim Tuck's homepage, biography and published works
Editor's Note:
Jim Tuck died in 2005. Jim approached his Mexico with a particular love of history that was strongly coloured by his political and social beliefs. His articles on the various periods of...
read more
South of Yesterday: A True Story by Virginia Downs Miller
"South of Yesterday" is the story of my mother's life as a bride coming to a strange land. The book flows through the charmed life of an American living in Guadalajara in the early nineteen hundreds, into the violence of the Revolution, escape from and return to a much-beloved Mexico. I related never before publicized events of history."
read more
Baja California - The Wedding
I rented a small house in La Gloria, in the hills between Rosarito Beach and Tijuana. It was a cozy place. I had painted inside and out and landscaped the yard. A willow tree shaded the back patio and ...
read more
Tlaxco, Tlaxcala - Part 2
Perspective:
Dateline - Tlaxco, Tlaxcala, Mexico
August 3, 1998
COLONIA SAN JUAN
The Hacienda San Juan de Tlaxco
Night-shadows play over the weathered stone markers in the...
read more
Temexla
The square five-gallon can with a slow burning fire inside generated enough heat to warm the tortillas and beans. Small containers of salsa, chilis and whatever sat on the ground. The half dozen or so ...
read more
Puebla And Then South
Puebla and then South
From Cholula we are in the city of Puebla in a matter of minutes. Though Puebla is a city of maybe 1.5 million people, it is not a city of tall buildings of steel and gla...
read more
Part Five Of The Central High Plains, Cholula
On a huge hill, covered with weeds, small trees and debris, was built a church overlooking the city, the Sanctuary de los Remedies. It is a beautiful site, with the towered church silhouetted against t...
read more
Part Four Of The Central High Plains, Tlaxcala
I have been receiving a number of letters from people who have an interest in pre-Columbian Mexico and therefore this article will be mostly about my explorations in the vicinity of Tlaxco. Tlaxco is a...
read more
Part Three Of The Central High Plains, Tlaxcala - The City
The Plaza de la Constitution is the main plaza or zocalo. Its grounds are well landscaped with large old shade trees, flowers, park benches, decorative green cast lampposts and several fountains. In th...
read more
The Mexican High Plains Part 2
In my original booklet on traveling the Central High Plains, we traveled to Poza Rica by way of Xicotepec and La Ceiba, one of the principal routes between Mexico City and Poza Rica. Since I have used ...
read more
Traveling The Central High Plains - Part One
A couple of years ago I wrote a booklet about the Central High Plains with the idea that I would offer my services as a guide. This idea, as a lot of my other ideas, fell flat. However, I was asked if ...
read more
La Ceiba, Puebla - Part 3
Perspective:
Dateline - La Ceiba, Puebla, Mexico
The Artist and Curandero: continued.
La Ceiba is a small town in the state of Puebla on the highway between Mexico City and P...
read more
La Ceiba, Puebla, Mexico Part 2
Perspective:
Dateline - La Ceiba, Puebla, Mexico
The Artist and Curandero
La Ceiba is a small town in the state of Puebla on the highway between Mexico City and Poza R...
read more
La Ceiba
Perspective:
Dateline - La Ceiba, Puebla, Mexico
May 1, 1998
"La Ceiba" (or maybe Lázaro Cárdenas or Tito Hernández or Villa Avila)
La Ceiba is a small town in the sta...
read more
San Francisco, Ixtacamaxtitlan, part 2
Following a policy of keeping the boys and the girls seperated, Martita and Vidal seldom saw each other at school. It must have been some comfort just knowing that the other was close by. Marta's dormi...
read more
San Francisco, Ixtacamaxtitlan, part 1
Prospective:
Dateline-San Francisco Ixtacamaxtitlan
September 29, l998
Part I
In February 1519 Hernan Cortez and his small army of adventurers set sail from Cuba on one of the...
read more
Life And Death Ritual - La Corrida
I have never been an ‘
aficionado’ or ardent fan of bullfighting, but during the summer of ’57 I went to the bullfights regularly while spending the summer in Mexico City as a student. It l...
read more
Tlaxco
Perspective:
Dateline -Tlaxco Tlaxcala Mexico
Monday, April 13, l998
TLAXCO
7 A.M. The sky is something of a steel gray, like before the sun comes up or on dark cloudy days befo...
read more
My Place Under the Sun - Part 1
My Place Under the Sun - Part I
Marta Graciela Sanchez Rivera de Moritzky
(Chela)
She weighs less than 100 pounds and doesn't even come up to my shoulders. She has a nice personality a...
read more
The Summer Of 57 - Mexico City
We had come down on a chartered bus from LSU with our professor to study Spanish. A classroom had been rented and arrangements made for us to stay in private homes. Classes were held in the morning and...
read more
La Bruja (the Witch)
As you may know, there are
Brujas Blanca's (white witches) and
Brujas Negra's (black witches). The white witches do good and the black witches cast spells for which mean or envious people...
read more
The Maya Civilization, Historical Conflict Part 2
The Maya Civilization
Historical Conflict Part 2
(To Part 1)
"Just because of the crazy times, because of the crazy priests, is it that sadn...
read more
La Civilización Maya: Conflicto Histórico, Parte 2
El libro del Chilam Balam de Chumayel es el más importante de los códices o manuscritos propiamente mayas que hasta hoy se conocen. Este libro recoge tradiciones orales de la historia maya; parte de ...
read more
A cold winter for a young man from Mexico
New Year's Day, 1910 was colder than ever.
read more