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>>Fantasmas: Supernatural Stories by Mexican American Writers |
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Contributors
to Fantasmas: |
edited by Rob Johnson and with an introduction by Kathleen AlcaląIn Mexico, cuentos de fantasma are a popular form of literature combining fantasy, folktales, and pulp fiction. Fantasmas is the first collection of such stories written by Mexican American writers and features nineteen new stories by Kathleen Alcalą, David Rice, Carmen Tafolla, Stephen Gutiérrez, Elva Treviño Hart, and others. In the world of Fantasmas, a Cantinflas puppet bought at Los Angeles's Olvera Street market comes to life and terrorizes a boy; a grandmother gives her granddaughter a magical potion as a quinceañera gift; and a "miracle" occurs the night of a Freddy Fender concert in New Mexico. In her introduction, Kathleen Alcalą distinguishes these stories from those by Latin American magical realists and discusses how a new generation of Mexican American writers has infused the folktales of the past with a sense of irony, humor, affection, and belief. "These
tales and urban legends are modern, with a nod--make that a bow--to
current pop culture's fascination with horror and the paranormal.
They run the gamut from the grotesque ('Cantinflas,' 'Lilith's
Dance') to those displaying gracia, that elusive, heart-lightening
quality that divides art from craft ('Beyond Eternity,' 'Michelle's
Miracle'). Still others such as 'The Gift' would make excellent
X-Files material, although a strong moral is attached.
. . . patrons will enjoy the richness of the folktales and the
sheer thrills transmitted by the fantasmas." Rob Johnson teaches American literature at the University of Texas-Pan American in the South Texas Valley. His essays on border culture and on South Texas writers have appeared in Southwestern American Literature. Kathleen Alcalą is the author of three novels, most recently Treasures in Heaven (Chronicle Books, 2000).
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ISBN 1-931010-02-1
176 pp. | paper only | $15.00