Bordering fires : the vintage book of contemporary Mexican and Chicano/a literature /

Migration is on the rise all around the globe, transforming cultures on both sides of every border. But perhaps no dividing line is more highly charged than the one between Mexico and the U.S. As the two worlds commingle, literature becomes an essential medium for engendering empathy and understanding. Novelist Garcia has created an anthology that is timeless in its artistry and timely in its topic. This vital and defining collection of poetry, fiction, and essays begins with four masters who . . . left an unmistakable imprint on Mexican literature. Garcia then samples more current if equally revered Mexican writers, including Octavio Paz and Elena Poniatowska, Chicano writers Richard Rodriguez and Jimmy Santiago Baca, and Chicana writers Ana Castillo and Sandra Cisneros, followed by emerging Mexican writers. Each selection is distinct and resonant, tapping into deep and fluid truths and shaping a coalescing literary realm. To quote Coral Bracho, On the border an abyss of tones, of sharp clarity, of forms. / One should enter lightly, darkly that instant of dance. --Donna Seaman Copyright 2006 Booklist

The timeliness of this work cannot be questioned, since it features essays, fiction, and poetry that reflect the formidable physical and psychological boundary between the United States and Mexico. Editor Garc!a (Dreaming in Cuban) contends that the border has shaped artistic expression on both sides; these selections suggest the frustration Latinos face as they ambulate between two cultures. Gloria Anzald#a's "How To Tame a Wild Tongue" describes the bilingual acrobatics executed by many Latinos, Rub?n Mart!nez's "Crossing Over" narrates the travails of the border, and Richard Rodriguez's "India" offers an unflinching view on the issue of miscegenation. Of equal importance, however, is the Mexican literature that preceded contemporary Latino writing. For this reason, Garc!a includes selections from distinguished Mexican writers (e.g., Rulfo, Paz, Poniatowska, Monsiv is, Fuentes, and many others) whose work has both reflected and influenced the Mexican psyche. In this sense, the book serves as an important sampling of Mexico's best authors. Although similar to the recent Mexico: A Traveler's Literary Companion, which helps the traveler understand Mexico, this new work helps Mexico and the United States understand the traveler from and between these two worlds. Recommended for all libraries. Nedra Crowe Evers, Sonoma Cty. Lib., CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Adult/High School-This outstanding anthology includes a variety of literary forms (poems, essays, short stories, excerpts from novels) and cuts across time to present both early influences and contemporary pieces. Authors include earlier masters (Alfonso Reyes, Juan Rulfo), contemporary greats (Octavio Paz, Carlos Fuentes), Chicana/o voices (Sandra Cisneros, Rudolfo Anaya, Ruben Mart'nez), and new Mexican authors who are becoming internationally known (Carlos Monsiv is, Coral Bracho). Not surprisingly, many of the selections deal with questions of identity and allegiance. Garcia's excellent introduction gives valuable background on the authors and their work.-Sandy Freund, Patrick Henry Library, Fairfax County, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.