Tales of El Huitlacoche by Gary D. Keller, First edition 1984.

Gary D. Keller

First Edition

[Chicano Literature] Keller, D. Gary. Nom de plume "El Huitlacoche". Tales of El Huitlacoche. Colorado Springs: Maize Press, 1984. First edition trade paperback. 77 pages. Softcover vibrant red, orange, and black wrappers, illustrating a tranquil scene of a large bridge, sunset, and a river. Octavo. Gary D. Keller, born in 1943, was raised with one foot on each side of the U.S.-Mexican border and received a PH.D. in Hispanic Literature and Linguistics from Columbia University in 1971. His Tales of El Huitlacoche explore four stories dealing with universal human themes, while demonstrating how the Chicano man tries to cope with a world that finds him inconvenient to deal with, since it wishes to exist uncluttered by ethnic and racial concerns. The first tale, “The Automatic Jumping Bean,” defines the author’s relationship to his father, who lived a caring, concerned, humane life, yet died unfulfilled because his penchant for inventing went unappreciated and unrecognized. “The Mojado Who Offered Up His Tapeworms to the Public Weal,” the second tale, is a picaresque account of a migrant who is in the United States illegally. He discovers that it doesn’t matter whether you live in Mexico or in North America, if you are poor and Mexican you are valued only if you sell cheap labor. The third tale describes the understanding a Mexican-American gains of himself while attending school in Mexico City. The experience recounted in “The Raza Who Scored Big in Anahuac” has been lived by many Mexican-American's who have traveled to Mexico in search of self-understanding and empathy, and who has been made to feel unwelcome for having been born in the United States. The final tale, “Mocha in Disneyland,” concerns a father’s love for his child and for his former wife—who is living with someone else. This story demonstrates how that love is expressed and how it draws father, son, and mother together—perhaps more closely than might otherwise have been the case had the marriage remained intact. Wrappers bear minor adhesive remnants, not affecting text or illustration. Small "exchange copy" stamp on front endpaper, not affecting text. Clean and crisp pages and a vibrant cover, in very good condition.

Item #19093

Price: $75.00