Assumption and Other Stories [Paperback]

Daniel A. Olivas (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1931010196 | ISBN-13: 978-1931010191 | Publication Date: July 1, 2003

Assumption is a collection of 18 short stories that revolve around Latinos in Southern California. The characters are so varied, that they defy easy stereotypes: converted Jews, lesbians, lawyers, newscasters, Catholic schoolchildren — just to name a few.

In the suspenseful "Summertime," the parents of nine-year-old Jonathan Cohen-Ramírez are confronted with their greatest fears when a deranged white supremacist opens fire on people at the Jewish children’s day camp that Jonathan attends.

"Weatherman" tells the amusing tale of Castro Ramírez, a Los Angeles media personality who builds his fame by using the correct Spanish pronunciation of California city names during weather broadcasts. When a ruthless competitor attempts to beat Ramírez at his own game, the results are startling—and hilarious.

Shifting effortlessly between pathos and wry comedy, Olivas is able through his character-driven stories to explore how a married couple deals with infertility, how a lawyer reconciles her lesbian sexuality with the expectations of her traditional-minded parents, and how the students of a Catholic grammar school come to terms with the suicide of a popular young priest amid swirling rumors of his sexual improprieties.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"These empathetic vignettes and stories show us people we know, if we are not these people ourselves." --Kathleen Alcalá, author of Treasures in Heaven (2000)

About the Author

Daniel A. Olivas is a Deputy Attorney General with the California Department of Justice and lives with his wife and son in the San Fernando Valley. He holds a B.A. in English literature from Stanford University and a law degree from the University of California at Los Angeles. He is the author of The Courtship of María Rivera Peña: A Novella (Silver Lake Publishing, 2000), and one of his short stories appeared in the recent anthology Fantasmas: Supernatural Stories by Mexican American Writers (Bilingual Press, 2001). His fiction and poetry have appeared in numerous other anthologies and in such literary journals as Exquisite Corpse, THEMA, The MacGuffin, and The Pacific Review.

Product Details

• Paperback: 157 pages
• Publisher: Bilingual Pr (Bilrp) (July 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931010196
• ISBN-13: 978-1931010191
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,289,895 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Daniel A. Olivas (www.danielolivas.com) is the author of "The Book of Want: A Novel" (University of Arizona Press, 2011); "Anywhere But L.A.: Stories" (Bilingual Press, 2009); "Devil Talk: Stories" (Bilingual Press, 2004); "Assumption and Other Stories" (Bilingual Press, 2003); "The Courtship of Maria Rivera Pena" (Silver Lake Publishing, 2000); and the children's book, "Benjamin and the Word / Benjamin y la palabra" (Arte Publico Press, 2005).

Olivas is editor of the landmark "Latinos in Lotusland: An Anthology of Contemporary Southern California Literature" (Bilingual Press, 2008), which brings together 60 years of Los Angeles fiction by Latino writers.

Olivas has written for many publications including the Los Angeles Times, the El Paso Times, Exquisite Corpse, THEMA, California Lawyer, and The Jewish Journal. His writing is featured in many anthologies including "Sudden Fiction Latino" (W. W. Norton, 2010); "Hint Fiction" (W. W. Norton, 2010); "Mamas and Papas" (City Works Press, 2010); "Fantasmas: Supernatural Stories by Mexican American Writers" (Bilingual Press, 2001); and "Love to Mama: A Tribute to Mothers" (Lee & Low Books, 2001). He shares blogging duties on La Bloga (http://labloga.blogspot.com) which is dedicated to Chicano and Latino literature.

Olivas is the grandson of Mexican immigrants and is the middle of five children. Born and raised near downtown Los Angeles, he converted to Judaism in 1988. Olivas received his degree in English literature from Stanford University, and law degree from UCLA. By day, he is an attorney in Los Angeles with the California Department of Justice in the Public Rights Division where he has practiced law since 1990. Olivas makes his home in the San Fernando Valley with his wife and son.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intermesh themes of human sexuality, tragedy, challenge, December 12, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Assumption and Other Stories (Paperback)

Assumption And Other Stories is an anthology of short stories by the demonstrably talented Chicano author Daniel A. Olivas (Deputy Attorney General, California Department of Justice). His diverse stories intermesh themes of human sexuality, tragedy, challenge, loss, gender, and ethnicity , ranging from a young lawyer who tells her parents about her lesbianism, to the dark sexual rumors of surrounding the suicide of a popular young priest at a Catholic school, to the terror that strikes families when a white supremacist starts shooting at a Jewish children's day camp. Highly recommended reading, these original and memorable stories clearly document Daniel A. Olivas as one of the best and most original Hispanic American authors working today.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At times funny and always fascinating, July 17, 2004

By 

Oscar J. Rolan "orolan" (San Gabriel, Ca United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Assumption and Other Stories (Paperback)

This books contains a series of shorts stories that are freshly written and enticing to read - at times funny and always fascinating. Although fiction, the author's references to actual locations in Los Angeles (including Pico-Union) sometimes transported me back to the "old neighborhood". Enjoyed this books many short stories involving themes of racism, Latin culture and sexuality. Highly recommend.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cautionary Tales from LA, December 4, 2011

By 

Sean Meriwether "Sean Meriwether: Penboy7" (New York, NY 10039) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Assumption and Other Stories (Paperback)

I was first introduced to the work of Daniel A. Olivas when I was the editor of OutsiderInk.com, and it was a treat to return to his fiction. The story he published with me is the lead story, "Los Angeles, 1970," a piece that deftly navigates the challenges faced by immigrants and their children and a boy's confusion regarding a sexually manipulative priest. The story showcases Olivas' talent for capturing a unique and often unheard perspective. There is a spectrum of characters in his stories: protective to overly proud fathers, determined daughters, lesbian lawyers, cocky weathermen, strong older women, as well as a hot and not always welcoming Los Angeles, which is a character appearing it each piece. The author serves up a slice of life with dexterity and dash of humor. Layered into his stories is a current of music: jazz, pop, rock, and Mexican standards. The book is solid throughout, but there are some standouts: The chilling reality-based "Summertime" about a white supremacist opening fire on a Jewish community center and "19" a humorous take on the Y2K debacle, but for me it is the "cautionary" tales that I enjoyed most, reminding us that life is short and we should be true to ourselves: "Res Judicata", "Weatherman" and my personal favorite, "Voir Dire," in which a man discovers his ability to write fiction and his parents still dismiss him as an idiot; a mixture of hope and humor!