Arturo Islas: The Uncollected Works

by Arturo Islas, Frederick Luis Aldama

Overview

A collection of never-before-published short fiction, poetry, and essays by the author of The Rain God.
These early works demonstrate the path that Islas would cut for gay Latino writers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781611926408
Publisher:	Arte Publico Press
Publication date:	04/30/2003
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	341 KB

Table of Contents

	Acknowledgments	xi
	Introduction	xiii
	Early Fictions
	Orejas de papalote	3
	A Boy with the Eyes of a Fawn	8
	The Submarine	13
	Poor Little Lamb	20
	Clara Mendoza	23
	An Existential Documentation	29
	The Face of Our Soul	34
	Dear Arturo	36
	Late Fictions
	Tia Chucha	41
	The Dead	45
	Reason's Mirror or The Education of Miguel Angel	49
	Nina	51
	Maria	59
	Compadres y comadres	73
	La familia feliz	84
	Kokkomaa	89
	The Loneliest Man in the World	97
	Poetry
	Untitled Early Poetry	103
	Cuauhtemoc's Grave	105
	Obsession	107
	A Cock	108
	Palace of Your Body	109
	Aztec Angel	110
	Sleeping on Poppies	112
	Morning in Finland	113
	Flight Delay	114
	Desire	115
	The Island	116
	A Poem in the Manner of Emily Dickinson	117
	You Will be Another Pacific Island	118
	Bondage & Discipline	119
	Moonshine	120
	Drunk	121
	Ambush	122
	For E.H.	123
	Motherfucker or the Exile	124
	Hostility	127
	Colette's Friend	128
	Losing You	129
	In the Dark	130
	Mishima	131
	Lost My Mind	132
	The Meeting of Saint Anthony and Saint Paul	133
	Blueboy	136
	Metroliner	138
	Guilt	139
	Skins	140
	Scat Bag	141
	Dancing with Ghosts	143
	Cliche	153
	Medea on the Hudson	154
	Closet Song	155
	Bo Peep	156
	Faggots	157
	Algol/Algolagnia	159
	Nelly and Butch: A Song	160
	Cheap Song	161
	On Gin Considered a Demon	162
	Swallow	163
	Light	164
	Mantra	165
	Resident Fellow I	166
	Video Songs	167
	Nirvana	170
	Island Poem I	171
	Essays & Lectures on Chicano Literature
	Can There Be Chicano Fiction or Writer's Block?	175
	Saints, Artists, and Vile Politics (excerpt)	183
	Richard Rodriguez: Autobiography as Self-denial	220
	On the Bridge, At the Border	229
	Chronology of Major Events	237

Editorial Reviews

Most notably the author of The Rain God and its sequel, Migrant Souls, gay Chicano writer Islas had, at his death from AIDS-related pneumonia in 1991, a trove of unpublished material (52 boxes), both fiction and nonfiction. Aiming to "stretch and broaden" our perception of Islas as writer and thinker, editor Aldama (English, Univ. of Colorado, Boulder) here presents a collection of Islas's recovered work-short stories, poetry, and essays on Chicano letters-that he never had the opportunity to publish. Turning early to the world of books as an escape from his mounting array of physical disabilities (among them polio), Islas entered Stanford on scholarship and took a course from Hortense Calisher in creative writing and one from Yvor Winters in leading American poets. He later became the first Chicano to earn a Ph.D. from Stanford, where he was eventually promoted to associate professor of English. Refusing to buckle under his knowledge of being HIV-positive, Islas spent the last couple of years of his life participating in numerous scholarly activities, the fruit of which is included in this collection. The essays and lectures on Chicano literature are admirably direct and clear, while the fiction and poetry stems largely from gay culture and may be a revelation to some readers. On the whole, the volume certainly demonstrates why Islas has become a beacon and a model for younger gay writers. Recommended for libraries with holdings in gay and Chicano literature.-Charles C. Nash, Cottey Coll., Nevada, MO Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

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