The first public reading of To Belém & Back in Miami Beach, one of the cradles of the book’s creation, was a hoot, with 23+ people packing into my old friend Russell’s mid-beach apartment.  Novelist Ben Batchelder read a darker passage than usual, about the change in his relation with his black Lab after nearly killing him on the equatorial island of Marajó, which was balanced with a more upbeat and Brazilian 20′ film, followed by a discussion with more short excerpt readings.  My sincere thanks to Russell for so kindly hosting, along with Earthdog Press, and to so many friends whose presence was both inspiring and touching.  [Photos courtesy of Jose Azze; please hover over images for captions]