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Marigolds Under the Mexican Moon

 Book/CD-ROM/Teachers' Aid Booklet/Website

My original concept for this project was to feature "a day in the life of a vanishing indigenous culture, with a secondary focus on a festival day relevant to that culture". This concept is flexible enough to allow for others of the series to feature children from many parts of the world. "Marigolds Under the Mexican Moon" is the first of these projects, and it features a look at the life of a Huasteca Indian boy growing up in the central rain forest regions of Mexico. A bilingual narrative takes us through the boy's life at home and in the community, and special attention is given to the way the holiday of the Day of the Dead is celebrated. Included is a look at the colorful masked dancers, the beautiful altars in every home, and the delicious pastries. Also, the modern and historical contexts for these and other aspects of local and national Mexican cultural observances are explored in a way that prompts education and enjoyment.

As a single piece of work, this project is my most ambitious self-created work to date. It will be primarily an 8 1/2" x11" book with significant focus on the photographic/visual aspects of the content. It will feature a CD-ROM fitted into a plastic sleeve in the back of the book which will allow the user to experience audio and interactive aspects to the story, as well as featuring much greater visual content. Add to this, a booklet that will serve as a teaching aid supplement, and a large, visually rich, world wide web presence as well. This project will be available to interested publishers by the first quarter of 1997.

I traveled to Mexico twice to gather material for this project, shooting video and 700 photographs all over the country. I am absolutely and enormously thankful to my wonderful hosts on my second trip, Steven and Maria Lewis, without whose expert guidance I would barely have known where to aim my camera. Steven and Maria, who are excellent writers with advanced degrees in education, and their Monterrey, Mexico, based company, Edimax, continue to be a huge part of the project. They will provide the research, textual content, and the English-to-Spanish translation of all the material.

The splash screen for the CD-ROM

Altars are an important part of this solemn yet joyous holiday

Almost 100 historical paintings by Mexico's most famous artists are featured in a special section only on the CD-ROM.

Hue hues are the masked dancers that take over the streets and compete in local contests.

Special comp preview of a work in progress:

Marigolds Under the Mexican Moon, the book

I have decided to include an online photo essay that provides a pictorial tour through the "Day of the Dead." This piece was originally featured in Obsidian Magazine Online.

Day of the Dead Photo Essay

Like more information about ordering the CD-ROM?

CLICK HERE

E-Mail to Scott Fray

Scott Fray, P.O.Box 2293, Reidsville, NC, 27323   336-634-0108 

© 1996 - 2002 Scott Fray. All rights reserved.