New Border Voices: An Anthology

Contents

Contents xi xxi Preface Acknowledgments Introduction, by José E. Limón 1 PART I. The Border’s Literary Tradition and Its Sense of Place 7 A “Southern Renaissance” for Texas Letters 9 José E. Limón The Texas-Mexico Border: This Writer’s Sense of Place 16 Rolando Hinojosa-Smith 23 PART II. De las voces de muchos The Rain Parade 25 Paul Pedroza One Pinto Bean • When I Was Younger • Ancient Houses 29 Ray Gonzalez Voyeurism, or the Third-Party Politician 61 Dalel Serda Ojos de Dios • That’s What I Said 44 Tammy Melody Gomez Coyotes 49 Cooper Renner Invocation • El Amor Prohibido El Paso 59 Abigail Carl-Klassen Southbound 61 Genaro Gonzalez How to be La Llorona for the City of Sullivan that has no Sidewalks 73 Veronica Sandoval Escalera 75 Ben Roberts Ursular • Calm licks the night 76 Joseph Daniel Haske Popeye Was an American Citizen and So Am I 78 René Saldaña Jr. Border Illusion • Silence 82 Gene Keller viii ♦ Contents The Window 84 Brian Van Reet Serape • Prospective Titles for a Border Thesis 97 Rodney Gomez La Huesera, or, flesh to bone 99 Ire’ne Lara Silva Ode Por El Amor Imprevisto 106 John D. Fry Fertile 108 Gabriela Ybarra Lemmons Wireless Panteón 112 Lauren Espinoza The Border Is a Good Place to Live 113 Agustín Cadena Wild Woman of the Navidad 118 Shawnee Wren From Mariguano: A Novel 120 Juan Ochoa Border • El Paso Women 130 Sheryl Luna The 29th of April 133 Flores Dear Celan • [magic needed] 144 Emmy Pérez Corrido 146 Brian Allen Carr El Paso and the Sister City 158 Jorge Azcárate LoneStar™ Special 160 David René Solis Quitclaim 163 Sean Chadwell Sonnet for Human Smugglers • Tough Guy 173 Octavio Quintanilla The Loss of Juárez 175 Sergio Troncoso And Old Guerrero Waits • Across 178 Chip Dameron Contents ♦ ix stupids 180 Christine Granados Santa de las Embarazadas 191 Beatriz Guzmán Velásquez Cobb and Me 194 Robert Paul Moreira Daiquiri 205 Pat Mora un frontera pocho en san antonio 210 Isaac Chavarria Contrabandista Epistle 212 Jim Sanderson El Paso 224 Kevin Prufer Vozilencio: River of Voices 227 Richard Yañez La Polvadera: Border Murder • Desert Nectar on Scenic Drive 230 Robin Scofield Baseball over the Moon 232 Kathryn Lane The Bone Box/Waka Tupapaku 241 Carmen Tafolla A Starving Indian Woman 243 John MacAyeal Raspas, Tequila y Balazos • Where Are You, Home? 246 Brenda Nettles Riojas My Better Border 249 Chuck Taylor Contributors 255 Credits 263 ...