Arturo Islas: The Uncollected Works by Arturo Islas (review)

4 7 2 W e s t e r n A m e r i c a n L i t e r a t u r e W i n t e r 2 0 0 5 A r t u r o I s l a s : T h e U n c o lle c t e d W o rk s. By A r t u r o I sla s. E d it e d b y F r e d e r ic k Lu is A ld a m a . H o u s t o n , T e x a s: A r t e P ú b l ic o P r e ss, 2 0 0 3 . 2 7 6 p a g e s , $ 1 6 .9 5 . R e v i e w e d b y C u r t i s M a r e z U n i v e r si t y o f S o u t h e r n C a l i fo r n ia , L o s A n g e l e s Su r p r isin gly , t h e r e m ar k ab le w o r k o f t h e q u e e r C h ic a n o w r it er A r t u r o Islas (1 9 3 8 - 1 9 9 1 ) h a s a t t r ac t e d r e lat iv e ly lit t le c r it ic a l a t t e n t io n . A n ew v o lu m e , A rtu ro Islas: T h e Uncollected W ork s, m ay h e lp r e m ed y t h is n e gle ct . T h is w o r k c o lle c t s a n ar r ay o f Islas’s w r itin g, in clu d in g p r e v io u sly u n p u b lish e d sh o r t st o ­ ries an d sign ifican t ly d iffe r e n t d r afts o f so m e o f h is p u b lish e d w or k s, a ge n e r o u s se le c t io n o f p r e v io u sly u n p u b lish e d p oetry , an d a gr o u p o f h is essay s an d le c ­ t u r e s o n C h ic a n o lite r atu r e . It also in clu d e s a n e x c e lle n t c r it ica l in t r o d u c t io n b y Fr e d e r ick Lu is A ld a m a , t h e a u t h o r o f an Islas b io gr ap h y t it le d D an cin g w ith Gh osts (2 0 0 4 ). T o ge t h e r w ith h is n o v e ls, t h e w r it in g in t h is v o lu m e in d ic at e s t h a t Islas w as a m ajo r t w e n t ie t h - ce n tu r y in t e lle ct u a l an d ar t ist . It also p r o v id e s a u n iq u e w in d o w o n t h e h ist o r y o f C h ic a n o st u d ie s in t h e acad em y . O n e o f t h e first C h ic a n o u n...