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Editor鈥檚 Note: The interview with Mason Engel took place before the SAG-AFTRA strike.

Stress. It鈥檚 something Mason Engel doesn鈥檛 like too often. Yet, he can work wonders in it.

Earlier this year, Engel set out to film the documentary, 鈥淏ooks Across America.鈥�

The documentary takes viewers to the far reaches of literary America like no documentary you鈥檝e ever seen.

Engel sits face-to-face with authors in their own hometowns as he explores enchanting indie bookstores and legendary bookish landmarks.

Engel traveled with a two-person crew, and their minivan, 鈥淐hrissy the Chrysler,鈥� on the whirlwind literary tour of America 鈥� from the Library of Congress in Washington D.C., to The Outsiders Museum in Oklahoma, to the bookcase where Grip 鈥� the real-life, long-dead raven that inspired Edgar Allan Poe鈥檚 鈥淭he Raven,鈥� 鈥� is forever enshrined behind glass.

Engel鈥檚 goal was to interview one author in each state.

In New Mexico, Engel sat down with Lorena Hughes to talk about her novel, 鈥淭he Spanish Daughter.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檝e caught up on sleep,鈥� Engel says during a recent interview. 鈥淚 have to pinch myself because this was an opportunity of a lifetime for me. It would have been awesome to have local people line up and participate as an audience, but we had one day in each city.鈥�

Engel is getting the documentary ready for the film festival circuit, with a date for PBS some time in 2024 or early 2025. He is still raising money via Kickstarter for the film at .

Some of the authors interviewed are the likes of James Patterson, David Baldacci and Joyce Carol Oates.

He says interviewing the authors would have been amazing enough.

鈥淎dding in a road trip to all 50 states in 50 days made for a crazy and unforgettable journey,鈥� he says. 鈥淭his is something I鈥檝e been working toward for five years. It鈥檚 not my first 50-day road trip. In 2019, I was self-promoting my novel and along the way, I fell in love with bookstores.鈥�

On his way to sa国际传媒官网网页入口, Engel read 鈥淭he Spanish Daughter,鈥� so he could prepare for the interview with Hughes.

鈥淚 woke up and I sat in the back seat of the car preparing,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e stopped to get drone footage and when I got to sa国际传媒官网网页入口, we did the interview at Bookworks.鈥�

Yet, when Engel and the crew got to the bookstore, there was no electricity.

鈥淲e went to Home Depot to buy a generator,鈥� he says. 鈥淩ight when we got back, we were ready to start it up and the electricity came back. It was a stressful moment that went away after the power went on.鈥�

Prior to the 50-day trip, there were months of preproduction as Engel began to take the New York Times bestseller list and started writing down authors.

He then contacted publicists.

鈥淚t was a mammoth task,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hen I started to make a list and make sure that the authors were a diverse group. Luckily, the response was overwhelmingly positive.鈥�

Engel enjoyed the challenge of maintaining concentration to reading up to eight hours a day while traveling.

鈥淚t was mentally taxing,鈥� he says. 鈥淎t the end of the day, I would get to talk to some of my publishing and writing heroes. There鈥檚 such a wide range and it鈥檚 very dramatic up and down. It was difficult to be on day seven and know that I needed to have 43 more days like that.鈥�

SEND ME YOUR TIPS: If you know of a movie filming in the state, or are curious about one, email film@ABQjournal.com. Follow me on Twitter @agomezART.