Panchita Villa and Other Guerrilleras: Essays on Chicana/Latina Literature and Criticism (review)

nada que ver con el exilio republicano, ni tampoco se trata de la misma memoria , rota o en una pieza. ¿Entonces? Pues tal vez los editores hayan cogido el virus de la desmemoria y se hayan olvidado de su propio programa editorial, o tal vez lo hayan metido en la “Memoria rota” porque es ahí donde mejor les conviene, venga o no venga a cuento, aunque eso supondría ausencia de seriedad editorial. Por desgracia, los autores no tienen gran cosa que decir a la hora de las decisiones editoriales. El autor propone, y la editorial dispone, amén. El estudio del profesor Colmeiro dilucida el proceso de la recuperación de la memoria colectiva española frente a los mitos del franquismo, y a los acomodos de la transición a la democracia, sirviéndose de una variedad de textos, ya sean novelas, películas, canciones, etc. El trabajo se apoya primordialmente en películas, y en menor grado en poemas y canciones. En cuanto a la novela, la explicación puede ser superficial. A veces, parte de premisas erróneas (por ejemplo en el caso de Martín-Gaite o de García Pavón, donde la parte se toma por el todo), o se reduce a menciones que carecen de elaboración o de apoyo crítico (v. gr., Historias del Kronen). De todos los modos, el reseñador reconoce que el profesor Colmeiro acierta al establecer unas coordenadas mediante las que sostiene ese proceso de la recuperación de la memoria colectiva. Su mérito reside precisamente en apuntar cómo y por qué, contribuyendo así a esclarecer la naturaleza de un problema nacional. PABLO GIL CASADO University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC Rebolledo, Tey Diana. Panchita Villa and Other Guerrilleras: Essays on Chicana /Latina Literature and Criticism. Austin: U of Texas P, 2005. 270 pp. Long-time and well-respected Chicana literary critic Tey Diana Rebolledo and her academic alter-ego, Panchita Villa, seek social justice through literary criticism in her new collection of essays. Covering a wide range of topics, this book represents two decades of scholarship by the author. A revelatory and intimate introductory essay establishes Rebolledo’s own sense of Chicana/Latina identity and sets forth her agenda, which is conceived in the feminist vein as both personal and political: “to represent a restless questioning about the place of Chicana/Hispana literature and its critics and about our responsibilities as teachers and thinkers” (ix). More than a mere questioning, however, Rebolledo’s goal is to combat, aggressively and without apologies, in the style of a female Pancho Villa, the lack of Chicana/Latina representation in literary anthologies, literary criticism, university curricula, Reseñas 169 and cultural histories. Despite recent success and fame by Chicana authors like Sandra Cisneros, Gloria Anzaldúa, Ana Castillo, and others, Rebolledo argues that it is important not to become complacent and instead to recognize a history of as well as an ongoing struggle against underrepresentation and misrepresentation in predominantly male and/or Anglo literary spheres. Following her introductory remarks, the first section is titled “On Criticism and Critics” and outlines some of the barriers both Chicana authors and Chicana literary critics have faced, including tokenism, exclusion from decision -making processes (e.g., at conferences and in publishing), being labeled as marginal (i.e., unimportant), and being spoken for rather than being able to speak for themselves. In these essays, Rebolledo serves as a personal witness and participant in the fight for Chicana recognition and offers advice to both fellow Chicana critics and Anglo critics for becoming involved as well. The essays are from various years between 1987 and 2000, although they are not arranged chronologically, a decision that might have proven enlightening, particularly in illustrating the evolution of Chicana literary criticism. Regardless, these first essays serve to show that there is still a long way to go in achieving equality for Chicana academics and authors. Part two, “On Chicana Literature” is the most complete section of the book. In these essays, Rebolledo covers a wide array of topics, texts, historical moments, and authors. Included, among others, are several essays that define and illustrate Chicana feminism in...