Storyteller

by Rafael Alvarez

"Storyteller" combines Alvarez's intimate knowledge and fascination with the people and places of Baltimore, his own sense of personal history and his ability to make fact and fiction alike resonate with a poetic sense of the human condition. As Scott Shane states in the book's introduction, "All literature, like all politics, is local…..And it is from a long immersion in the newspaper facts of Baltimore and environs that Rafael Alvarez has begun to create his own rich ficitonal locale, the holy land of East Baltimore." Fiction and journalism blend in "" The three short stories in the "Something Made" section weave imaginary characters with the fine detail of real places. The ten chapters of "Newspaper Work," all originally published as articles in The Sun, weave real Baltimore profiles and scenes with Alvarez's mastery as a storyteller. The stories cover a couple with an informal ministry in the basement of their rowhouse floral shop, famous writers and musicians with Baltimore roots and "working-class heroes" – including a glassblower, a nightclub bouncer and a meat grinder. In addition to examining these and other examples of "Characterus Baltimorenis," Alvarez reveals his own rich heritage and shares his musings about life's journey as he travels cross-country with his teen-age son in summer 2000. "Storyteller" is not just for the Baltimore-familiar. Alvarez's ability to weave a tale and bring a story to colorful life is appreciated by all audiences of all ages.

288 pages, Paperback

First published May 14, 2001

Reviews

[Larraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came upon Mr. Alvarez' writing later than I should have. Despite living in Maryland, I stopped reading the Baltimore Sun and switched to the Washington Post as the Sun shrunk to nearly nothing. Unfortunately, writers like Mr. Alvarez probably lost some readership as a result which is really sad. I started reading his books after reading his first book of short stories. Then he came to our local library and spoke, and I remembered, once again, what I had loved. I bought this book along with his more recent one and have been reading it slowly. It's a book of his Baltimore Sun columns. They are jewels. It helps to have lived near Baltimore and enjoyed that city for so many years. There are so many wonderful stories about his family and their recipes. (He is a true example of the melting pot: a Spanish grandfather, a polish mother, and there's Italian in there too!) I have enjoyed reading the chapters slowly. It took a while for me to finish it for that reason. It's called savoring.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evocative stories, both fictional and true, about the quirky people and places of Baltimore. Blue crabs, immigrant families, knife grinding, and sacred places--the Catholic basilica, a bar laden with Elvis memorabilia, the best pizza place in the city--all shine grittily with Alvarez' passionate love for his hometown and its inhabitants.