Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1519471 in Books
• Published on: 1999-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 248 pages

From Publishers Weekly
The authors of the 17 stories in this anthology have roots in Cuba, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Spain, the American Southwest and New York City. The editors chose not to include established Latino writers, and their selection of new voices reveals a diverse and exciting pool of talent, employing a wide range of styles to portray the varied experiences of gay Latino men. From the magic realism of James Canon's hermaphrodite narrator in "The Two Miracles of the Gringos' Virgin" to the bleak Raymond Carveresque prose of Erasmo Guerra's "Between Dances," this collection delivers gem after gem. Other standouts include "The Nasty Book Wars," Jaime Cortez's comedic and touching account of a boys vs. girls battle to possess the mystery and knowledge contained in a crumpled collection of pornographic magazines; Larry La Fountain-Stokes's incantatory Whitmanesque bravado ("I have been a john, bisexual, queen, man, woman, my name is desire and yours is hope") in "My Name, Multitudinous Mass"; and Alex R. Silva's "Mara's Marvelous Match," in which a jaded transsexual prostitute unexpectedly finds love. Perhaps most impressive is Adam Griego's autobiographical "Onions Are for Men," a quietly devastating portrait of how being in the closet strains family relationships, as silence becomes a burden. If one unifying theme can be identified here, it might be the conflict between cultural expectations (machismo) and same-sex desire. One hopes that the writers in this lively collection will continue to wrestle with this conundrum and bring to light new stories, exploring ethnic and sexual identities.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
One of the great accomplishments of gay literature in the past few decades has been its move to greater inclusiveness. Most importantly, it is now recognized in the United States that gay men are not uniformly white, middle class, and ghettoized. Like all of us, gay Latinos have a pressing need to tell stories. In this strong collectionAa major contribution not just to gay studies but to American literatureAthe honesty of the tellers strikes home. Sad tales mix with joyful ones as an entire range of personalities from the community is evoked. Some of these stories use elements of autobiography that make them almost ethnographic. For example, Adan Griego's "Onions Are for Men" is an episodic reminiscence about the author's strong ties to his family. Librarians will be pleased that with Griego we have one of our own represented. Recommended for all contemporary fiction collections.ADavid S. Azzolina, Univ. of Pennsylvania Libs., Philadelphia
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
Writer Manrique (see also the review of Eminent Maricones on in this issue) gathers, with coeditor Jesse Dorris, an eye-opening selection of exemplary stories by contemporary gay Latino men. These stories are edgy, confrontational, and nonapologetic. They are in-your-face when it comes to gay sexuality and face slapping in terms of the talent they showcase. In "Seoritas in Love," by Manrique himself, the narrator and his friend go to the NYU campus to hear an address by Ram--n Ariza, an openly gay Latin American writer; and the narrator and the famous writer establish a connection, despite the latter's positive HIV status. "The Two Miracles of the Gringos' Virgin," by James Ca--n, is a tease: the main character was born a hermaphrodite, and the story is outlandish. And Emmanuel Xavier takes no prisoners with his muscular story "Banjee Hustlers," about the New York drug and bar scene. Good for rounding out a library's comprehensive short story shelves. -- Booklist, June 1, 1999

Customer Reviews

An enticing Dance Card!
This anthology of short stories is both satisfying and frustrating - satisfying in the varietal range of writers, frustrating in that there isn't more to read! There are common threads that editors Manrique and Dorris have discovered and those threads are woven into sometimes gaudy/garrish flags and at other times into tender/vulnerable mantillas. The flavors are quintessentially Latin and if some of the stories are more tenuous in content and form, this only serves to evidence the valor of a history of suppressed sexuality each author addresses. Some of the works are mature, elegantly written vignettes and the editors are kind to give us past and future works for further investigation. Others show many degrees of promise. In all, this is a collection to be savoured...and a terrific appetizer!

A Wonderful, Though Brief, Read
I read this book from cover to cover and enjoyed most of the pieces. The anthology is quite a varied gathering of gay Latino writers at many stages of their careers, so it was interesting to note how this collection balanced the range of literary talents. I was impressed by most of the pieces, disappointed in others. If you read this collection you will recognize the weak writing rather quickly. (Find out for yourself!) I was, however, a bit dismayed that so many of these stories dealt with sex. There were few exceptions. So I found it difficult to see how this collection offered anything different from the mediocre "white gay" collections that have flooded the market recently, other than that these are gay Latinos. But that is just an observation, not necessarily a criticism. I still have to commend this effort, kudos to Mr. Manriquez. I have found some new voices here that I know are sure to make a difference in the changing landscape of American literature.

BESAME MUCHO (como si fuera la ultima vez!)
Do you want to cry, do you want to fall in love, con un macho muy macho. Or do you want to see what it's like Livin La Vida de una Loca? If you do this is the book for you. Filled with la vidas Latino-Gay style! A must read for all the LOCAS that are "out" there.