Interview of Katherine Anne Porter by Enrique (Hank) Lopez in Mexico City, Mexico, December 9, 1964

Interview of Katherine Anne Porter by Enrique (Hank) Lopez for the periodical "Dialogos" in Mexico City at the Prado Hotel on December 9, 1964. On first tape, both Lopez and a female interviewer and interact with Porter. The tape begins with Porter discussing her relationship with Edith Sitwell. Porter talks about literary careers before addressing Lopez's request to talk about her time in Mexico. She repeats the story of why she decided to go to Mexico, her experiences there in 1920, including the genesis of "Flowering Judas" as well as a delightful anecdote involving Felipe Carillo Puerto. She also mentions Caso, Enciso, Obregon, Vasconcelos, and Covarrubias and discusses the 1922 exhibit of Mexican Popular Art, her part in it and the problems associated with getting it exhibited. She recounts a story about threats of lawsuits by the Doheny oil interests after the publication of her "Where Presidents Have No Friends" in 1922. Discusses her French translator Marcelle Sibon. Also recounts seeing the Mexican exhibit in Paris. Expresses opinions of Diego Rivera, mentions Siqueiros, Tina Modotti, Dr. Atl, and Nahui Olin. Discusses origins and composition of Ship of Fools. Second recording continues the discussion of Ship of Fools. She also discusses her time working in Hollywood, the Roberto Turnbull movie in which her legs and feet were filmed, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Hart Crane, Malcolm Lowry, James Stern. She names the contemporary writers she admires: Peter Taylor, Eudora Welty, J. F. Powers, Flannery O'Connor, William Humphrey, Walter Clemons, George Garrett, as well as the types she does not like. Concludes with discussion of her family associations with New Orleans and Louisiana. About midway through this portion of the interview, Mary Louis Doherty joins Porter, Lopez, and the woman (who may be Lopez's wife)