Ray Gonzalez, born 1952 El Paso Texas

Poet, essayist: most important anthologizer of Latino literature

“never would have gotten interested in poetry if it hadn't been for rock and roll.  He loved listening to the lyrics of songs by the Beatles, and he started writing poetry to imitate them”

hated poetry and lit in high school. Into comic books.

“Texas border is a place divided, a land of legends and lies”

border town odd characters: scorpion eaters and mescal drinkers, cowboys and Indians, Anglos and Chicanos, spirit horses and beat-up pickups, brujos and putas, apparitions of the Virgin and bodies in the Rio Grande

the Southwest as the "land of re-written history," for "heritage tourism"

poetry editor of The Bloomsbury Review for twenty-two years

teaches at the University of Minnesota.

José Antonio Burciaga (1940-1996), born in El Paso, Texas

In 1960, Burciaga joined the United States Air Force, traveled world

artist/muralist, humorist, stand up comedian

comedy group, Culture Clash: skits, vaudeville, dirty jokes, Chicano “DefJam”

Among skits:

How to hide the smell of refried beans from “La Migra”

Essay on the secret Mexican Missile Defense Program: The Jalapeno

Essay on the Meaning and Nature of the Pendejo (the “sucker”)

Drink Cultura book – short stories and essays

wife, Cecilia, activist, was on Clinton's Presidential Committee on Latinos in Higher Education

“Mexican by nature, American by nurture, a true "mexture"

Controversial Mural: "The Last Supper of Chicano Heroes" 1989, Stanford University, replacing Christ and his twelve apostles with Chicano heroes (some not Mexican American) dining on corn tortillas, tamales and tequila instead of bread and wine.

Died of Cancer in 1996

Sandra Cisneros (1954) Chicago

Cisnero and 6 brothers. She is the outsider.

Grandfather sends Cisneros’ father to college. Father slacks off, left to U.S. “rather than face my abuelito's anger."    Eventually settle in Chicago.

Every year a migration between Chicago and Mexico City to be with family. Every year they move back to different neighborhood in Chicago – no lasting friends so Cisneros turns to books/libraries.

Mother was a high school drop-out who "read voraciously” but as a woman did not believe it was her place to want to be a writer. Wanted her daughter to grow up to be more than she was.

Iowa writer’s program: “My classmates    were from the best schools in the country. They had been bred as fine    hot-house flowers. I was a yellow weed among the city's cracks." Inspired to write House on Mango Street.

Taught writing to high school drop-outs at Chicago's Latino Youth Alternative High School until success of Mango Street in 1984.

Writes about longing for one house for one family, permanent and stable.

Writes “poetic language” about real people encountered, feminism, love, oppression and religion.

“Starting” ideas from mail order catalogs and a Texas Phone book.