Tom Miller
Since 1969 Tom Miller (Washington, D.C, 1947) has lived in Arizona, where he initially wrote for the underground anti-war press, then for sea-level publications such as Smithsonian, Rolling Stone, Esquire, The Chicago Quarterly Review, The New Yorker, LIFE, and many other outlets. His books include The Panama Hat Trail, about South America; On the Border, an account of his travels along the U.S.-Mexico frontier; Revenge of the Saguaro, about the American Southwest; and about Cuba, Trading with the Enemy. He has been a member of the Thornton Wilder Society and the Cervantes Society of America and served as a Fellow of the Gilder Lehrman Institute for American History.
The City of Quito designated Miller “Un Huésped Illustre,” and he was honored by the Castilla-La Mancha Regional Consejería de Cultura, Turismo y Artesanía in Spain. In 2017 he was honored with a Festschrift. Since 1990 he has served as an Adjunct Research Associate of the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Arizona. Miller's latest book is a look back at his career and travels titled Where Was I? A Travel Writer's Memoir (April 2022).
Are there particular films that have influenced your writing?
Yes. When I bought my first VCR I had to decide what would be my very first video. I chose Orson Welles’ 1958 classic “Touch of Evil.” It’s set in the Third Country between the United States and Mexico. It shows the cultural failings of both sides. Director Welles plays a severely overweight police chief and Marlene Dietrich plays a tawdry bordertown hooker.
Is there a genre of music that influences your writing/thinking? Do you listen to music while you write?
Yes. Rock ‘n’ roll. My book includes Cmdr. Cody, Fats Domino, and most of all, Bob Dylan. Cody for his lyrics, “Got the down to seeds and stems again blues”. Fats Domino for his Walker trilogy: “I’m Walkin’,” “Walking to New Orleans,” and “I Want to Walk You Home.”
Dylan again because of his early lyrics “There must be some way out of here...”. I don’t listen to rock while I’m writing but it surrounds my attitude. For writing, I listen to classical music or best of all, silence.
Not all books are for all readers… when you start a book and you just don’t like it, how long do you read until you bail?
I’m reminded of what British author Julian Barnes told me: “The moment a friend’s book arrives, rip it open. Carry it with you so everyone will see you with that author’s book. Then when you get home, read the first five pages. My God, he’s your friend. You owe him that much. Find a sentence or two that you like, then sent him a card saying this was this was so good you just couldn’t wait to finish to let him know sentence or two that you like, then send him a card saying that this was so good you just couldn’t wait to finish to tell him how much you enjoyed his book.”
Vacation druthers… City or Rural destination? Why?
I try to integrate vacation time with work time. When I arrived in a new city I spent a couple minutes looking around thinking, “could I move here? Is this a place for me to settle?” Invariably the answer is no; no to Bisbee, Arizona which is high on my list. No to Cuenca, Ecuador which is also high on my list. Then there’s San Sebastian, Spain, in the Basque Country. I should've moved there a number of years ago.
Do you collect anything? If so, what, why, and for how long?
Starting in 1959 I have been collecting versions of "La Bamba." Currently I have some 80 versions of the song. “La Bamba”goes from the slave trade in the 1600s to Hollywood in the early 21st century. I was first attracted to its Latino "Louie Louie" ambience, but shortly after I began researching it I realized the song meant so much to so many people. To babies the ba-ba-ba sound works. It is infectious. To garage bands the three-chord melody works. To people like you and me, how can you resist “La Bamba”? I continue to collect “La Bambas.
