The Prentice Hall Anthology of Latino Literature / Edition 1

by Eduardo del Rio, Eduardo Rius Del Rio

Overview

  This anthology exposes readers to a rapidly growing field of literary studies. This mainstream topic focuses on works and authors who have been forged by a dual consciousness.   Topics covered include Cultural and Linguistic Considerations, Mexican-American Literature, Cuban-American Literature, and Puerto-Rican American Literature.   For readers interested in learning about Latino Literature.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780130266873
Publisher:	Pearson
Publication date:	09/14/2001
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	544
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 13.10(h) x 1.25(d)

Table of Contents

I. FOREWORD.

II. INTRODUCTION.

Cultural and Linguistic Considerations. Labeling.

III. MEXICAN-AMERICAN LITERATURE: A BRIEF SURVEY.

Fiction.

Sandra Cisneros from The House on Mango Street: “My Name,” “A House of My Own,” “Mango Says Goodbye Sometimes.” Gary Soto from Living Up the Street: “Black Hair.” Jose Antonio Villareal from Pocho. Rudolfo Anaya from Bless Me Ultima. Ana Castillo from So Far from God. Denise Chavez from The Last of the Menu Girls: “Willow Game.” Rolando Hinojosa from Becky and Her Friends: “Becky.” Roberta Fernandez from Intaglio: A Novel in Six Stories: “Esmeralda.” Helena Maria Viramontes from Under the Feet of Jesus. Americo Paredes from George Washington Gomez.

Poetry.

Pat Mora, “Sonrisas,” “Bilingual Christmas,” “The Grateful Minority.” Ana Castillo, “Women Are Not Roses,” “Not Just Because My Husband Said.” Sandra Cisneros, “My Wicked Wicked Ways,” “For All Tuesday Travelers.” Gary Soto, “Who Will Know Us?,” “Moving Our Misery.” Bernice Zamora, “Luciano.” Lorna Dee Cervantes, “To We Who Were Saved by the Stars.” Gloria Anzaldua, “To Live in the Borderlands Means You.” Jimmy Santiago Baca, “Roots,” “Accountability,” “A Daily Joy to be Alive.”

Drama.

Estela Portillo Trambley, Sor Juana. Luis Valdez, Bernabé.

IV. CUBAN-AMERICAN LITERATURE: A BRIEF SURVEY.

Fiction.

Cristina Garcia from Dreaming in Cuban. Oscar Hijuelos from The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love. Virgil Suarez from Spared Angola: Memories of a Cuban-American Childhood: “La Ceiba: Tree of Life.” Pablo Medina from The Marks of Birth: “The Birthmark.” Margarita Engle from Singing to Cuba. Himilce Novas from Mangos, Bananas and Coconuts: A Cuban Love Story. Teresa Bevin from Havana Split: “City of Giant Tinajones.” Jose Yglesias from The Guns in the Closet: “The Place I Was Born,” “Celia's Family.”

Poetry.

Gustavo Perez Firmat “Bilingual Blues,” “Dedication.” Pablo Medina “The Exile,” “Winter of a Rose.” Ricardo Pau-Llosa “Foreign Language,” “Minas de Cobre.” Elias Miguel Munoz “Little Sister Born in this Land.” Carolina Hospital “Dear Tía.”

Drama.

Dolores Prida Beautiful Señoritas. René AlomáA Little Something to Ease the Pain.

V. PUERTO-RICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE: A BRIEF SURVEY.

Fiction.

Judith Ortiz Cofer from The Line of the Sun. Nicholassa Mohr from Nilda. Piri Thomas from Down These Mean Streets. Jack Agueros from Dominoes and Other Stories: “One Sunday Morning.” Esmeralda Santiago from When I Was Puerto Rican. Ed Vega from Mendoza's Dreams: “The Barbosa Express.” Abraham Rodriguez Jr., “The Boy Without a Flag.” Jesus Colon from A Puerto Rican in New York and Other Sketches.

Poetry.

Miguel Algarin “Nuyorican Angel,” “August 21.” Sandra Maria Esteves, “In the Beginning,” “A La Mujer Borrinqueña.” Victor Hernandez Cruz, “African Things,” “Bi-Lingual Education.” Tato Laviera, “My Graduation Speech,” “Savorings, from Piñones to Loiza,” “Against Muñoz Pamphleteering.” Pedro Pietri, “Puerto Rican Obituary.” Jack Agueros, “Sonnet: Waiting in Tompkins Square Park,” “Sonnets for the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Long Time Among Us.” Martin Espada, “Thanksgiving,” “Niggerlips.”

Drama.

Miguel Piñero, A Midnight Moon at the Greasy Spoon. Miguel Algarin and Tato Laviera Olú Clemente.

VI. APPENDICES.

Glossary of Terms for Bernabé.

Glossary of Terms for Olú Clemente.

Selected Bibliography.

Preface

When I started teaching Latino literature several years ago I had several goals I wanted to meet. The first one was simply to expose students to works by Mexican-American, Cuban-American, and Puerto Rican authors. I was always surprised to hear that most of my predominantly Mexican-American students had never been exposed to works by authors who shared some of their own backgrounds and experiences. More importantly, I wanted them to see that these works were valuable not simply because they were written by Latinos and Latinas, but because they were well crafted; in effect, because they were 'good literature.' Additionally, I wanted to show students that while there were some obvious differences within the works of various Latino groups, there were also some significant similarities. I hoped that aside from the linguistic connection, they could feel that they were part of a larger community by learning about the history, religion, and culture of other Latino groups.

Finding a textbook that accommodated these goals proved impossible. Anthologies containing selections by one particular Latino group were fairly easy to find. Mexican-American anthologies, for instance, were readily available. It was a bit more difficult to find books that included works by authors of different ethnicities, but a few existed. Unfortunately, they restricted themselves to only one genre. It was possible, for instance, to find an anthology of Latino poetry. At the time I started teaching Latino literature there was only one anthology that contained selections by authors of various Latino groups, which also provided offerings from different genres. While the books were well edited, it was arranged by theme rather than genre or ethnicity. Thus, I felt that it was not well suited to the goals that I wanted to achieve, and which I felt would prove most beneficial to my students. For a few years I struggled with individual works of fiction, poetry, and drama. This approach was not only expensive for students, but it also limited their exposure to a wider variety of texts and ideas. What was needed, I thought, was an affordable textbook that would aid both student and instructor by accentuating the differences and similarities present in the works of Latino and Latina authors.

In editing this anthology I have kept these goals in mind. For those who wish to study the works of only one Latino group this book is arranged so that it is possible to do so. However, the arrangement by ethnic group and genre is designed to allow instructors and students to explore the important differences and common traits present in these works. The questions that follow the selections incorporate this idea. I hope that it not only serves as a valuable classroom tool, but that it emphasizes the tremendous amount of quality literature being produced by Latino and Latina writers.

—Eduardo del Rio
University of Texas
Pan American