Anaya Reader

by Rudolfo Anaya

Book by Anaya, Rudolfo A.

Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Banned Books

Library Binding

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Rudolfo Anaya lives and breathes the landscape of the Southwest. It is a powerful force, full of magic and myth, integral to his writings. Anaya, however, is a native Hispanic fascinated by cultural crossings unique to the Southwest, a combination of oldSpain and New Spain, of Mexico with Mesoamerica and the anglicizing forces of the twentieth century. Rudolfo Anaya is widely acclaimed as the founder of modern Chicano literature. According to the New York Times, he is the most widely read author in Hispanic communities, and sales of his classic Bless Me, Ultima (1972) have surpassed 360,000, despite the fact that none of his books have been published originally by New York publishing houses. His works are standard texts in Chicano studies and literature courses around the world, and he has done more than perhaps any other single person to promote publication of books by Hispanic authors in this country. With the publication of his novel, Albuquerque (1992),Newsweek has proclaimed him a front-runner in "what is better called not the new multicultural writing, but the new American writing." His most recent volume, published in 1995, is Zia Summer.

"I've always used the technique of the cuento. I am an oral storyteller, but now I do it on the printed page. I think if we were very wise we would use that same tradition in video cassettes, in movies, and on radio."

from
http://www.unm.edu/~wrtgsw/anaya.html
and
http://www.gale.cengage.com/free_reso...

Reviews

[Paul Mata · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Rudolfo Anaya is becoming one of my favorite authors of all time. Especially with his Chicano background. His writing is so beautiful and it is so tender. There is a warmth in the way he writes, that I wish I could describe better. It's one of those feelings that almost feels like nostalgia but somehow even more sentimental. Even more wistful. There is so much magic filled in this book. I absolutely LOVED his short stories. There was so much for me to learn from them. He writes a lot about themes regarding life, death, purpose, love, heritage and culture, and nature. The big thing you can take away from all of those themes is that he makes the conscious decision to ALWAYS respect each of those things. I think that's what I love about his writing. His essays are FASCINATING!! There is so much to learn and process within that section of the book. The only thing I loved about that section of the book is it shows how progressively traditional he is. I find that such a funny phrase to say because you wouldn't necessarily group those two words together, but truthfully I think that is the best way I can describe his essays. He does an absolutely brilliant job of expressing how important it is to respect and honor where you came from, and all the ancestors that came before you, while also looking ahead to the future and accepting and embracing the change. Nothing lasts forever. Those three words carry so much weight. Somehow Anaya is able to take those three words and turn them into the most heart felt and romantic feelings ever. But not bad feelings??? I have so much to process after reading this. I'm so happy to have gotten to embrace this book the way I did. I feel so much love for my heritage and culture already, but after reading this it makes me want to dive even deeper into that part of me life. I wish I could read some of these stories and essays again for the first time. Wow.

[behsforensics]

Cutting is for Walt Whitman Strides the
Llano of New Mexico
By Rudolfo Anaya

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, only read bits and pieces. I do like Anaya. Expect a hearty dose of magic realism. One story in particular, called "Devil Deer," is great for illustrating the effects of nuclear fallout from testing sites and the effects that might have on surrounding tibal life.

[Karen]

This Book was Banned in Arizona Schools.