5 comments about Burro Genio.

1. Victor's storytelling magic lies in his very natural ability to make you feel as if you are 'right there' as an observor or silent participant in the experiences and adventures he is describing. His stories are treasures because they take his Latino readers back to their own lives in this country AND they offer non-Latino readers a golden opportunity to experience life as seen through the eyes of an immigrant. This particular book, BURRO GENIUS, is just such a story. The key to understanding and feeling what Victor writes about is to try and 'check your cultural baggage at the door' and experience the stories with a clean canvas.



2. Excellency is the only word that describes this amazing tale! It is not Victor's fantasy but Victor's life in light of his dreams and struggles to be who he is. The Villaseñor's story is still the story of many inmmigrants, from many countries and many races. It is a redemptive experience that helps us to to keep on with life, no matter how hard it might be or turn. In a world where everything is "made" and taken for granted, Victor's creativity and desire to suceed over its limitations, emerges as a clear example for those who want to give up. It is simply remarkable! It is possible!



3. I've read "Rain of Gold"(which I also recommend) and found "Burro Genius" to be just as wonderful. I recommend this book to everyone. Especially anyone of Mexican/American descent. If you've never read a book of Victor's, now's the time!



4. I was under the impression that this book would focus on the author's triumphs over adversity (i.e. dyslexia, racism, etc.). Although the book did touch on the aforementioned themes to a certain degree, I felt that its central focus was steeped in some of the most prosaic, banal details of Villasenor's childhood. The author's writing has a way of making the most tragic experiences of Villasenor's life seem incidental. The majority of children have stories about growing up but I am not sure that they are all noteworthy enough to be chronicled in a memoir. Likewise, I think that Villasenora could have broadened his work's appeal if he would have omitted several lackluster childhood experiences. I started the book with an open mind and with each page I hoped that it would get better. Regrettably, the book did not meet my expectations.



5. I bought this book a year ago, I enjoyed it tremendously, great story,many parts of the book reminded me of the time I spent in the Catholic school system of my youth. I bought three copies to give out at Christmas time. All who received a copy, also enjoyed it.
   This is a great read .People have told me that I resembled the kid on the running board of the car on the book cover.

5 comments about Days of Obligation: An Argument with My Mexican Father.

1. 
   Richard Rodriguez, is, to say the least, a dense writer. His prose overflows with allusions to the demonic Romantic founder William Blake, work ethic orientated Victorian philosopher Thomas Carlyle, with small dash of natural theologian St. Thomas Aquinas, among others. And these are only the obvious references to me. Add that to classical literature, Roman Catholic philosophy, pre and post lapsearian filters on the role of Mexican Americans in the United States, and you have a philosophical self examination that rivals Dante Alighieri. "Days of Obligation" is a purposely dense, complex, at times conciliatory and confusing allegory of examination of self via international relations. Rodriguez attempts to unravel the relationship between Mexico and California as he unravels his own relationship with the native land of his parents.
   
   He opens his collection with his travels with a BBC crew to find his roots. He feels alienated in a place where everyone assumes he would feel most comfortable. This feeling of alienation continues throughout the collection, and extends to his observations of alienation of those around him. Father Huerta is alienated from others because of his yearning to reunite the body and head of Joaquín Murrieta. The disillusion between the tú and usted forms in Mexico. The alienation that he feels from his family. More optimistic about his life's potential than his fathers cynicism, more comfortable than his mother who dreams about better days in Mexico.
   
   What I found most interesting about this collection is that it seemed, whether intentional or not, to follow basic Blakean philosophy. He makes a reference to a "Blakean angel" in "Late Victorians", which to me implies that he had some conscience effort go into that. One of the tenets of William Blakes philosophy is often misunderstood as duality, but its actually the opposite. In a simplified sense, Blake believed that people are neither good or bad, but both good and bad at the same time. And I think that is how Rodriguez sees himself in this collection. He is neither American nor is Mexican, he is both, living in both worlds, unable to fully commit to one or the either.
   
   Another interesting thing that I noticed was an emphasis on work. Thomas Carlyle wrote that work was therapeutic, purification process, that made people more focused. Rodriguez seems to play on that idea in a satirical tone in `Late Victorians' when he writes that "Body building is a parody of labor, a useless accumulation of the laborer's bulk and strength" Rodriguez seems to believe that there should a reason for work, but this is such an obscure allusion that I'm not sure what to do with it. The book seems to continue with this theme also, but there is nothing specifically that I can point out that seems to obviously fit with that model.
   
   I brought up Thomas Aquinas because Rodriguez is a Catholic apologist. As well as a gay man. I thought that tied up into the Blakean philosophy quiet well. Two forces that are generally seen as opposing forces coexisting in one being at the same time in the same place. He is constantly defending the Church, something that I'm sure many people would find perplexing giving the Church's position on homosexuality.
   
   I greatly enjoyed the book. It was unlike any other non fiction that I have read. It doesn't concern itself with the typical "I feel--" statements that generally profusely overflow in contemporary non fiction. His style is reminiscent of Alexander Pope in a way--dense and literal at the same time; pretentious and personal. There is no doubt that his postulations will cause some people to walk away puzzled. He has no yearning to return to Mexico, as some people may assume, but is more than willing to admit that he does not understand the country as much as he would like. He's more than willing to, and does, to write above the average readers head. This alone is what most likely turn readers off. Unless one has a background in ethnic studies, theology, or English literature, the metaphors, references and allusions will go over the everyday readers head. But research into whatever questions the reader has will ultimately make reading the collection a richer experience.
   
   Over all, I enjoyed the book, and when my next pay period comes in, I know that I will make a few purchases of his other works to get a greater understanding of his writing. And that is one of the greatest compliment I think that any writer can receive.



2. I first learned of Richard Rodriguez on C-Span's Booknotes program. He was an invited guest of First Lady Laura Bush to speak at an author's fair that she started hosting in Texas while she was the First Lady of Texas. Rodriguez was promoting his book "Brown" at the the time and I thought his observations were wonderful.
   
   "Days of Obligations" is in a similar vein, but not nearly as focused. He does (primarily) focus on the differences between Mexico and the United States Two interesting observations from Mexicans about America include: 1) "America is 'Organized'. Passive voice. Rodriguez notes that there seems to be no connection that actual Americans do the organizing. Rather it's almost like it is fate that America is organized. 2) Americans have too much freedom.
   
   Rodriguez digresses from his Mexico/America discussion for an interesting (but off topic) discussion about the gay lifestyle in San Francisco. Perhaps it was meant to be a comparison between Mexicans moving into California and San Francisco's transformation into a beacon for homosexuals. If so, it was poorly correlated, although interesting nonetheless.
   
   His observations on multi-culturalism are very interesting. Rodriguez is a hard man to pin down politically. He is a walking dichotomy. Gay. Devoted Catholic. Mexican, but barely speaks Spanish. American but feels that he is different. Anyway, he looks at school to be the ultimate "de-individualizer" in American society, and that is not entirely bad. He believes that there needs to be a common understanding in society - we all have a common culture if we live in the United States, even if we prefer to ignore it. For example, he stresses the importance of the studying the Founding Fathers: "These were the men that shaped the country that shaped my life." He stresses that point off and on throughout the book - the United States shaped his life, Mexico shaped his parents' lives, and even though they brought Mexico with them in their hearts, he did not buy into it - he was shaped much more by America.
   
   Rodriguez's obeservations on multiculturalism in the Catholic church and Protestant vs. Catholic (in attitude, worship style, individual vs. communal, even musical themes) take up nearly an hour of the audio edition - but it may be the most interesting hour of all.
   
   Rodriguez is a skilled and experienced public speaker (regular duty on PBS plus book tours) so I have to wonder why he did not read his own book. The reader they chose did a great job with accents(primarily Irish and Mexican) and the spoken Spanish was solid so I have no complaints, but still...
   
   I give this one an A-. Worth a read, or in my case, a listen while driving to work. Lots of thoughts about immigration, Mexico, religion - and true to Rodriguez's form, no real answers. But, the discussion is worth the time and Rodriguez can turn a phrase quite nicely.



3. I have read many book in short, and few have had the impact this book had on me. It was an inspiring and emotional description of how children of immigrant parents are sometimes from old world beliefs and new world knowledge. Richard elegantly describes his battle and rightfully titles his book as an argument to his father that he is no less of a mexican if he acquires other beliefs of knowledge that contradicts that of old Mexico. It was a breathtaking book that I connected to it in some level. The quotes and images of old Mexico and trying to "prove" that you are no less mexican is a reality that many of mexican american kids face today. For them, this book is a must read.



4. Must to read!
   Especially for Californians!
   We are being a witnesses of the new classics created.
   Despite the tough vocabulary and not an easy writing style, author created brilliant and truly remarkable set of essays. They are not related to each other directly, which makes it somewhat easier to read and possible to skip around, moving back and forth according to your own moods and preferences.



5. Speaking from several points of view: as (1) a writer, (2) a memoirist, and (3) a reader who falls utterly in love with books that bring me to other worlds, I need to say this: Are you kidding, marketplace?!?!?!?
   
   This book is listed the half-millionth best-selling book on Amazon. That is just wrong.
   
   This book is a highlight of American literature. NOT just late-20th-century literature, not just Latino/Hispanic/whatever literature; but the big overarching all-things-considered American literature. Mark Twain is good. Richard Rodriquez is good; his is the American literature high school students, for one, should be reading. Writers: This book taught me the most about a graceful style that could include ANY content.

2 comments about Bootstraps: From an American Academic of Color.

1. This is a true story of the prejudice that Mexicans and people of color face in school and and in life. Luckily, he found a teacher who understood him, and gave him hope. Today, Victor Villanueva is a leader of his field, but still many people who would accept him if he was white, will not accept him because of his Mexican heritage.



2. Of course, anyone who has actually read the book will know that Villanueva is from a Puerto Rican family, not a Mexican one.

   Not that it matters. This is an important book for anyone in English studies, not just rhetoric & composition. Read it now.

5 comments about Silent Dancing: A Partial Remembrance of a Puerto Rican Childhood.

1. In a seemling easy narrative of remembrance, Ortiz Cofer brillantly weaves in dense yet accessible political thought on the relationship between the colonizer and the colonized through her literary genius: her keen use of metaphor. Ortiz Cofer's outloud conversational tone is engaging and unintimidating even in the face of the deep issues she raises and the hard questions she subtly yet clearly asks. Through "Silent Dancing," Judith Ortiz Cofer takes the reader along for a very enlightening journey through her self-exploration and self-definition. Ortiz Cofer discusses the ways that race, class, gender, and culture interact in shaping her life experiences without sounding dogmatic or naive. "Silent Dancing" is a work of substance, a work worth revisiting again!



2. She was the serious one, the one with the talent, the one whom God made a little stern, with big eyes that took in all the world around her, from the tropical heat of Puerto Rico, to the cold tenements of William Carlos Williams' Paterson, where half the year she lived as though paying penance for an entire family's ambition. Is it any wonder this young girl grew up to be a poet, a novelist, and a taker of incredible artistic risks? As her talents grew, she began to think of herself as belonging, oddly, to two nations, a Northern and Southern hemisphere that corresponded to her own fluidity, her ability to change genre in the middle of a sentence.
   
   Ortiz Cofer has long been one of America's cultural heroes. Now she strips back the legends of her youth to help us see the seeds of creativity which, or so some day, we all have been born with, even when obscured by circumstance. After reading this collection, you will be moved to do some "silent dancing" of your own.



3. Silent Dancing is about a young girl as she struggles through life, constantly being moved from the U.S. to Puerto Rico, and back again. The book explains everything about her experiences from kindergarten (in Puerto Rico)to being kissed in a high school hall way (in the U.S.). Family relationships, and family love are very important. I thought that this book could have been written better. I would a prefer a developed story line or plot, rather than a collection of randomly organized memories. I would also change the title. Silent Dancing is only mentioned once in the book, and its significance is unclear. What I did like about the book is the constantly shifting focus, because I have a very short attention span. I think that people who are not interested in Puerto Rico would find it difficult to finish this book. On the other hand, Silent Dancing is a good "summer book" for people who are curious about the culture of others.



4. Silent Dancing
   A Partial Rememberance
   of a Puerto Rican
   Childhood
   
   This book, Silent Dancing, is a memoir of a Puerto Rican, Judith Ortiz Cofer's, life as a young child.
   Judith's grandmother is an important piece in Judith's life. Mama (Judith's name for her Grandmother) could be strict to Judith, but she loved her. Her grandmother was known through out the family by telling storues about a young woman named Maria Sabida. Maria was a poor woman who was called weird for funny, outlandish behavior. From Mama's stories, Maria had a thick and wrinkled old body, but she walked and acted like a little girl. For a living Maria delivered meat pies and other treats to houses. Judith had heard that if you got close to her you could see her swinging a basket with delicious pies, hear her humming a tune that sounded positiley awful, and if you got really close to her, she might smile at you revealing all her yellow teeth in a crooked, sad smile. To Judith, it seemed like a grotesque version of the Little Red Riding Hood.
   Judith's grandfather, Papa, was a spiritist. He once saw visions of one of his sons, Hernan, being beaten and treated awfully. Mama did not believe him but it was unfortunatly true. Once Hernan was saved from being beaten and tortured, Mama let Papa have all the space and time he needed.
   When Judith was young, she was made fun of when speaking Spanish and English. When she spoke Spanish people told her that she had an English accent; when she spoke English she had a Spanish accent.
   Then, one day as Judith came home she was told that a Chilean girl was moving in an apartment above her family's. The Chilean girl's name was Vida. She was tall, thin, and beautiful. Judith admired Vida. Vida looked like a model and wanted to be a movie star someday in Hollywood. Vida did not like her family that much, so she hung out with Judith's family. Vida's past was sad and depressing so she only thought of the future. But then Vida changed Judith. Not on purpose though. It was just that Judith wanted to be everything like Vida. She was always there for Vida when she needed support and assurance. When Judith and Vida walked up the streets to Judith it was a dangerous but exciting game. But then Vida fell in love. Judith was still loyal to her and was used as a cover for Vida so Vida could meet her Neanderhal, muscley man. Vida had shared to Judith all what he had promised her. On day, once Judith had started school again, Vida came to Judith's apartment complaining that her parents had refused to accept her getting married to her Neanderthal, and wonderful man. Judith's father agreed for Vida to stay in their apartment for a while. After a while, Vida announced that they had broken up their engagement and started seeing other men. But that didn't worry Judith's mother. Mother was mad that Vida wore perfume that got all over my clothes, and stank of alcohol when she came back late at night. To mother, smelling unclean terribley rude. But Vida was changing. She no longer spoke of Hollywood, and wore perfume. Judith came home one afternoon to find Vida gone. The last time she ever saw Vida was on a beauty pagent poster. It read, "Vida wins!"
   Judith Ortiz Cofer now is remembered for her inspirational book to young people. She has inspired others to write memoirs like her book.



5. Silent Dancing is an "partial-rememberance" of Judith Ortiz Cofer. This "rememberance" is basicly her whole childhood from elementary school to high school which was spent hurtling from Puerto Rico to America and vise versa. It is a very.... different book. I had never read a "partial rememberance" before so, it was a new experience for me. but I didnt like it very much because I coudnt understand what was going on that well. It would have been so much easier to understand if it was a "full rememberance", but it was still interesting. I would recommend this book to anybody that wants to read about different cultures or a little girl struggling through her childhood years. But I dont think it was for me, because I like reading fictional books more than half-biographies.

5 comments about Autobiography of a Brown Buffalo.

1. I heard about Oscar'Zeta' Acosta basically from reading Hunter S. Thompson's book but became quickly fascinated by Dr. Gonzo and wanted to know more about him. I was pleased to find out he had also written some books and was even more pleased to find out he was(is?) a very good writer. Truly an inspiration to anyone who has ever felt their identity as an american is something that they have had to come to grips with. Apart from that serious subtext, it also a very entertaining and amusing story that rolls along, introducing some interesting and memorable characters and situations. A passionate human being wrote this book and it is filled with all the honesty and humanity of someone bearing his soul to achieve a greater sense of genuine self which for Oscar Acosta means being "A Brown Buffalo"



2. This book is one of the most memorable I have read in many years. Oscar lived an incredible life, and his ability to render it in this book is consistently amazing. I've read this book about three times, and I reflect on the trajectory of Oscar's life often.



3. Strong writing in places, but Acosta's style is sometimes hard to follow. Overall, I found the book to be meandering, formless, and kind of dull. The "Chicano in search of his identity" stuff is pure marketing hype. "A Chicano in search of beer, chicks and drugs" would be more like it--but there isn't much of that here, either, in case you're looking for a story of epic debauchery by Hunter Thompson's Samoan attorney. Acosta comes off as a fairly conservative character--he was a Christian missionary in Panama at one time--and basically apolitical at this point in his life. He wanders around the country, goes to bars, tries peyote, smokes some weed, drinks a lot of beer, but it's all pretty low key and, personally, I never thought this kind of thing was very interesting to begin with. Still, Acosta is a fairly sympathetic character and he's a better writer than most. This isn't a bad book, but it isn't that great, either--read Hunter Thompson instead



4. It is easy to dismiss this book. The hallucinations and drug-induced rants become a little exaggerated and tedious. Although, his friend and partner in crime, Hunter S. Thompson, would detail similar bizarre experiences in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, their intent seemed different. Whereas HST played with fantasy in social satire as a form of comic relief, OZA seems to want you to believe it to be fact...or at least for you to trust that he believed it.
   With that said, the story is one of the most self-deprecating, odd, and entertaining autobiographies I have ever read. It can easily stand alone as study of a Mexican-American struggle for the American Dream, as well as companion book to Hunter S. Thompson enthusiasts. Regardless of your intent on picking this book up, OZA will amuse, disgust, and surprise you...making this a worthwhile read.

   On a sidenote: This book truly makes you wonder, when HST and OZA joined up, who influenced who more.




5. By reading this book before watching the movie, you will see what Dr. Gonzo's life was like right before he decides to become a lawyer. If you have ever felt alienated by American ideals, regardless of your race, you will relate to this book. Acosta's writing is good and he does a great job of describing what the character is feeling when he encounters life, drugs, and ulcers.

No comments about Cesar Chavez and La Causa (Library of American Biography Series) (Library of American Biography).

5 comments about Living Up The Street.

1. Its a good book for teens to read if they can't find any other good book on their list but this book. I think that basically covers the idea.



2. Living up the Street
   by Gary Soto
   Peer Review
   Living up the Street is an autobiography by Gary Soto. Those who love autobiographies will love this novel. One of the reasons I liked this book is because Gary has some very interesting events that occur in his life. Sometimes those events can be quite hilarious, and other times he makes you wonder why he was doing the crazy things he did. Gary not only learns from his mistakes, he also applies what he learns to other problems he encounters throughout his life.
   I generally like reading autobiographies because I get to see what another person's life was like and I get to see what problems they faced in life. Then I try to figure out how I can use their problem and solution to make my life better. Another thing I like about reading autobiographies is that it can be fun learning what happened on another person's life. For those of you who hate autobiographies, I think you will still like this novel because Gary's life is very interesting.
   The difficulty level was not very high at all because he rarely used highly sophisticated words in his writing. He randomly used Spanish words throughout the book. That increased the length of the book for me because there were some words I did not know the meaning to. Overall, I would say that the novel is not very long and it is very intriguing.



3. I had to read this nutjob of a book with the class as a freshman this year and the cover and plot review on the back of the book made it look like bird scratch but right when you start reading you'd notice it's pretty damn good. This is on of those rare books that start o be interesting from the very beginning chapter and have small chapters so you feel optimistic about reading alot of sections of the book and feel a sense of almost finished.



4. Living Up the Street is one of many autobiographies written by Gary Soto. It tells of the ups and downs throughout his childhood, adolescence, and even adult life. This realistic book is enjoyable to read because many people can relate to one of his experiences one way or another. Though the book it without plot, sequence, or continuity, it is interesting from the very first chapter you read. This autobiography is mainly about Gary Soto, and his poor Mexican family, growing up in Fresno, California, in the 60's and 70s'. It is fun to read because it is as if you are reading and viewing someone as they grow up and mature. Through Gary's mistakes, he's learns valuable lessons for life on his own. To give you a better understanding of the book, knowing some events that occurred in the beginning will help you know how interesting it is. In the introduction, the three main characters are presents, who also happen to be all siblings. Rick, who is 6, Gary 5, and Debra 4. Most of the beginning shows the everyday family struggles they had growing up and how when the Mom, when she was angry enough, hit them with a belt after they acted up. One of the first events which happened, is when the Mom had somewhere to go and left the children home alone unattended accidentally. Since the kids loved playing with fire, they managed to burn a few items on fire inside the house and have fun with a tomato fight also, ruining the entire living room and kitchen. This is just one of many events that took place in this novel.



5. Living up the Street (Book Review)
   
   
   A boy growing up without a father. The only thing Gary knew was violence. By the age of five he was already stealing, beating people up, and trying to set houses on fire. He'd get into fights with his brother just for the fun of it. Gary lives in a bad neighborhood with a lot of Mexicans. He's always getting into trouble by his mom and never listens to anybody. His Family have been living here for a long time ever since their mom and dad was a little girl. After a while Gary, surprisingly, tries to look for work. He doesn't really earn that much money but he still does it for a long time. Then his mom decides to send Gary to a catholic school because she said he was a little devil and needed to go to church. At first it didn't change him but slowly but surely he began to change. He became less mischievous and more polite. He didn't get into much trouble anymore and instead just entered in arts and crafts at the park where a coach taught them. Gary liked sports and he and his brother tried out for the little league baseball team. They tried out three times and never had they made the team. They thought they were going to make it but unfortunately they didn't. Gary eventually got on a baseball team but it wasn't little league. It was a recreation al league that only had two teams. Gary's team always lost to the same opponent over and over. Gary was a growing boy so eventually the hormones of puberty started to kick in. One week he would like one girl and the next week he would like another. When he was about sixteen he volunteered to help little kids at the playground kind of like a new coach. Even though he was a teenager he made lots of friends. The kids played with him like he was one of them. In high school Gary joined the wrestling team. He wasn't that bad at wrestling but he wasn't the best. During the summer he decided to work at his moms work that actually paid very well even though they were harvesting crops in the fields. His brothers and sister eventually joined him because they needed money for school clothes. One day Gary and his friend were being stupid and decided to rob a house. They did but had to leave town to not get caught. Their own guilt eventually lead them to return all of the valuable merchandise. Some while later Gary got married to a girl named Carolyn. They moved to Mexico and didn't make very much money. They still lived happily and that's the thing that counts. I recommend this book to people who like autobiographies and like adventure. This book is a fun to read book that a lot of people can relate to.
   
   The first reason I enjoyed this book was because of the detail in all of the events. For example when Gary tried to set the house on fire. It explained how all the kids were fascinated with fire and how fire basically hypnotized them. How the angry fire made them crazy and want to set everything on fire. The TV did the same thing. They would just sit there as lifeless that anybody could be when they're alive. The book explained how they would bring a bowl of chips to eat during the movie and by the time they finished watching the bowl was untouched. Last example is during the arts and crafts session. The book told how Gary enjoyed doing arts and crafts for the coach and how he wanted to win badly. Gary also thought he was the best of the best of arts and crafts.
   
   The next reason why I liked the book was the suspense. When Gary and his friend robbed the place they stayed longer than they expected. The whole time I thought they were going to get found out but noone came. They even left blood at the crime scene so I definitely thought they were going to get found out then. Even when they left something had to go wrong. A branch got caught under the car and made a whole lot of noise. Another time the book was suspenseful was when Gary's mom heated a fork red hot and threatened to poke them with it. I thought she was actually going to do it because of all the bad things that Gary had already done. She sounded like she was pretty close to doing it because she already whooped all the others for trying to burn the house down. The final example would be when Gary was about to ask a girl out. He was walking back and forth because someone had told him that she liked him. He was walking up to her to ask her out but then his friend came up to him and told him that she liked another Gary.
   
   Last but not least the final reason I liked the book was because of the action. One day when Jimmy was at the playground the playground bully told Gary to play with him or else. So they got into a fight that Gary lost and received a bloody nose. Surprisingly afterwards they made friends with each other even after the huge fight. Next would have to be when Gary was in the sixth grade. He created a gang called the "Mexicans" that consisted obviously all of them were Mexican. They lived by a code that was that you had to hate the "surfer" people. The "surfers" consisted of seventh grade wannabe surfers who probably have never seen the ocean before. One day both groups got into a huge fight that was only stopped because teachers were spotted. The "Mexicans" lost because they were way smaller and a lot weaker than a lot of the seventh graders. Finally the last event was when Gary tried out for the baseball team. He messed up a lot and didn't play his best but there was still action. Whenever he tried to catch the he'd have to dive or jump to get it. When it was his turn to bat he hit several fly balls but a lot of them were foul balls.
   
   People who like autobiographies will love this book. It's fun to read and very exciting. Even though Gary's life wasn't perfect he got around obstacles big and small. This book can teach a lot people out there to appreciate their own life because they are very lucky. Gary didn't turn out perfect but he tried as best as he could and that's better than most people out there. Gary didn't even have a father when he was young and he still turned out to be a very polite and honorable gentleman. So enjoy life because if Gary can do it then you can.
   
   D. Bennett

5 comments about A Taco Testimony: Meditations on Family, Food and Culture.

1. This is no cookbook about tacos, but it is a food memoir reviewed here for its even wider-ranging survey of culture, family, and belief. Denise Chavez reflects on her coming of age in New Mexico, surveying her family's traditions, memories, and food-influenced lives. It's a fine leisure choice for any who would understand both family interrelationships and cultural infleunces.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



2. Uninteresting recipes, uninteresting writing. So uninteresting in fact that I skipped whole pages and sections and never found out if she even got around to explaining that the word taco means wadding or wedge, such as the wadding that used to be used to stuff cannons. Visual image, stuffing a taco "wad of food" into your mouth.
   
   The praised Delfina's tacos, which are a guisado of ground beef, onion, sweet peas, salt pepper and comino stuffed into a softened with oil tortilla and bake until crisp,well, it's an interesting recipe that I haven't seen before but a lot of work for not very much of a pay-off in flavor.
   
   Reading the book reminded me of times when I would be stuck having to listen to someone ramble on about whatever, and not having a means to extricate myself from the situation. Fortunately, in the case of the book, all I had to do was close it and shelve it.



3. As a resident of the author's city, I was looking forward to reading her much anticipated release. Unfortunately though, I was sorely disappointed. In fact, the reviewer who awarded A Taco Testimony two stars was generous. Unlike the 2-star reviewer though, I stuck with it, reading page after dull page, hoping it would improve (but never does), much like a monotonous "Saturday Night Live" skit that doesn't know when to end.
   
   Without semblance of structure, she haphazardly places poems, recipes, and anecdotes at random, repeating herself ad nauseam utilizing the sophomoric "Taco is life" metaphor. Moreover, her inchoate thoughts lack depth and detail. Riddled with inconsistencies and contradictions, full of fluff and devoid of content, her style resembles that of a grade-groveling high school sycophant, trying to con her audience with melodrama and malaise, but inevitably saying nothing of note.
   
   In her weak attempt to explain "Culture", for example, she affirms that it is lack of cultural awareness that results in our inability to know and respect others which ultimately causes violence in the world. Here, I agree. Yet her very example epitomizes HER ignorance of culture. With awkward phrasing she states, "A man who lives here but is not from here is trying to sue the city to get the three crosses, the symbol of our town, removed from all public displays." Not only does she promote divisiveness by insinuating that he is an outsider, despite claims throughout her book that we are all one people, she fails to acknowledge that the crosses of Calvary are recognized worldwide as the autograph of Christianity - that the triumvirate could represent centuries of violence perpetrated against non-believers. By failing to recognize the identities of non-adherents of Christianity, she obliterates them from the landscape, engaging in her own brand of cultural imperialism. Thus, the crosses are not merely the symbol of our town, the simplistic notion that the author would like us to believe.
   
   Perhaps the author is better suited to writing fiction. I can only hope her tacos are better than her book.



4. It's so very true that you never really value what you have until it's gone. Such is the tone of A Taco Testimony. Like many of us, much of the author's life was spent wanting to get away from her small hometown and well away from her family. She wanted a life of her own where she could define who she wanted to be and where she could be a shining star.
   
   Fortunately, as being part of a family seems to do, the author could never quite shake off who she was, where she came from, and those that loved her. She was the one that ended up taking care of her parents. In doing so, she was given a gift- the understanding that her parents were human just like her, they made mistakes, they had regrets, and like her they were extremely stubborn which often left feelings unsaid. Throughout it all, during the good times and the bad, there were tacos.
   
   A Taco Testimony serves as both a memoir of the author's life experiences and a tribute to her parents. It was this latter aspect of the piece that really touched me. I started reminiscing through my own experiences, began seeing them in a new light and had the incredible urge to phone my mother and have a real conversation.



5. This book tells the story of the role of tacos in the author's life, but she also creates a coming-of-age memoir as well as a loving portrait of her mother, the champion taco-maker. It includes recipes, poems, moving personal history, and thoughts about Mexican culture in both Mexico and the US, but the word pictures it creates of growing up in the 50s and 60s have parallels throughout the various "cultures" in the US.
   
   I have recently read Caramelo by Sandra Cisneros, and Esmeralda Santiago's books on growing up in Puerto Rico and the US, and find it valuable to think about all these books at once--since there are parallels in all these women's experiences.

No comments about Orange County: A Personal History.

4 comments about The Upside Down Boy/El nino de cabeza.

1. This multi-cultural storybook celebrates diversity through both the telling of the story and the inclusion of two languages: English and Spanish. Juanito is the son of migrant workers from Mexico. Neither of his parents had the opportunity to complete school, but realize the importance of education. When Juanito reaches school age, his parents settle down so that he may regularly attend. At first the new schedules feel strange to Juanito and he is often doing the wrong thing during designated times. However, once he adjusts, he discovers his beautiful singing voice, artistic talent, and receives high marks for a poem he wrote. He and his parents are proud of the success Juanito finds in school despite the challenge of adapting to an unfamiliar language and culture. The vibrant illustrations promote the positive feeling towords multiculturalism portrayed in this picture storybook.



2. Porque este empeno en publicar libros en un espanol tan mal hablado?? porque enredar a la gente con palabras como 'troca'?? Aparte de que suena horrible y naco, es super incorrecto!



3. In this sequel to Calling the Doves, Juanito's farm-worker parents settle down so that he can go to school. Suddenly, everything Juanito does feels upside down, but a sensitive teacher and devoted family help him make a place for himself. A 2000 Smithsonian Notable Book for Children. (summary by the Latino Recommended Reading List from the Association of American Publishers's * Publishing Latino Voices for America Task Force)



4. My seven-year old was absolutely captivated by this book. It is a heart-warming story, perfect for those who know how it feels to be a newcomer and at the same time illuminating to those who do not. The words are poetic and lyrical. The playful illustrations are strikingly beautiful, full of color, emotion, and expression. It is especially appropriate for children who have moved or are moving. However, anyone can enjoy the poetic message of love and support.