Introduction, Roberto Cantu. -- Part 1. Rudolfo Anaya and Narratives of the U.S. Southwest. 1. The Spell of New Mexico: The Witches and Sorcerers of Colonial New Mexico / Ramon A. Gutierrez; 2. Disenchanting the "Land of Enchantment"?: Sense of Place in Mary Austin and Rudolfo Anaya / Heiner Bus; 3. Sweet Birds of Youth: Coming of Age from Bless Me, Ultima to The Faith Healer of Olive Avenue / Jose E. Limon; 4. The Nature of Jalamanta: Religious, Philosophical, Spiritual, and Political Interconnections in Rudolfo Anaya's Ecological Novel / Maria Herrera-Sobek; 5. Land, the Southwest, and Rudolfo Anaya / Robert Con Davis-Undiano -- Part 2. Anaya's Poetics of the Novel. 6. Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima: A Nuevomexicano Contribution to the Hemispheric Genealogy of the New World Baroque / Monika Kaup; 7. Chican@ Literary Imagination: Trajectory and Evolution of Canon Building from the Margins / Francisco A. Lomeli; 8. De vatos y profetas: Cultural Authority and Literary Performance in the Writing of Rudolfo Anaya / Enrique R. Lamadrid; 9. How the Gothic Put Its Whammy on Me / Mario Acevedo -- Part 3. History, Ancient Genealogies, and Globalization. 10. Rudolfo Anaya's Historical Memory / Rosaura Sanchez; 11. Imagining the Local and the Global in the Work of Rudolfo A. Anaya / Horst Tonn; 12. Transnational Tales: A Millennium of Indigenous Cultural Interaction between the United States and Mexico / John M.D. Pohl; 13. And It Was Good: The Mestizo Creation Stories of Rudolfo Anaya / Spencer R. Herrera -- Part 4. Interview. 14. Interview with David Ellis: Film Producer of Rudolfo Anaya: The Magic of Words / Roberto Cantu.
Summary:
"Widely acclaimed as the founder of Chicano literature, Rudolfo Anaya is one of America's most compelling and prolific authors. Best known for his debut novel, Bless Me, Ultima, his writings span multiple genres, from novels and essays to plays, poems, and children's stories. Despite his prominence, critical studies of Anaya's writings have appeared almost solely in journals, and the last book-length collection of essays on his work is now more than twenty-five years old. The Forked Juniper remedies this gap by offering new critical evaluations of Anaya's ever-evolving artistry. Edited by distinguished Chicano studies scholar Roberto Cantu., The Forked Juniper presents thirteen essays written by U.S., Mexican, and German critics and academics. The essayists employ a range of critical methods in their analyses of such major works as Bless Me, Ultima (1972), Jalamanta: A Message from the Desert (1996), and the Sonny Baca narrative quartet (1995-2005). Through the lens of cultural studies, the essayists also discuss intriguing themes in Anaya's writings, such as witchcraft in colonial New Mexico, the reconceptualization of Aztlan, and the aesthetics of the New World Baroque. The volume concludes with an interview with renowned filmmaker David Ellis, who produced the 2004 film Rudolfo Anaya: The Magic of Words. The symbol of the forked juniper tree--venerated as an emblem of healing and peace in some spiritual traditions and a compelling image in Bless Me, Ultima--is open to multiple interpretations. It echoes the manifold meanings the contributors to this volume reveal in Anaya's boundlessly imaginative literature. The Forked Juniper illuminates both the artistry of Anaya's writings and the culture, history, and diverse religious traditions of his beloved Nuevo Mexico. It is an essential reference for any reader seeking greater understanding of Anaya's world-embracing work"-- Provided by publisher. "Presents thirteen essays by U.S., Mexican, and German critics and academics, analyzing the work of Rudolfo Anaya. Includes an interview with filmmaker David Ellis"-- Provided by publisher.
Series:
Chicana & Chicano visions of the Americas series ; volume 17
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.