Customer Reviews

Besame Mucho: An Anthology of Gay Latino Fiction (New Gay Latino Fiction)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This anthology of short stories is both satisfying and frustrating - satisfying in the varietal range of writers, frustrating in that there isn't more to read! There are common threads that editors Manrique and Dorris have discovered and those threads are woven into sometimes gaudy/garrish flags and at other times into tender/vulnerable mantillas. The flavors are quintessentially Latin and if some of the stories are more tenuous in content and form, this only serves to evidence the valor of a history of suppressed sexuality each author addresses. Some of the works are mature, elegantly written vignettes and the editors are kind to give us past and future works for further investigation. Others show many degrees of promise. In all, this is a collection to be savoured...and a terrific appetizer!

Do you want to cry, do you want to fall in love, con un macho muy macho. Or do you want to see what it's like Livin La Vida de una Loca? If you do this is the book for you. Filled with la vidas Latino-Gay style! A must read for all the LOCAS that are "out" there.

I read this book from cover to cover and enjoyed most of the pieces. The anthology is quite a varied gathering of gay Latino writers at many stages of their careers, so it was interesting to note how this collection balanced the range of literary talents. I was impressed by most of the pieces, disappointed in others. If you read this collection you will recognize the weak writing rather quickly. (Find out for yourself!) I was, however, a bit dismayed that so many of these stories dealt with sex. There were few exceptions. So I found it difficult to see how this collection offered anything different from the mediocre "white gay" collections that have flooded the market recently, other than that these are gay Latinos. But that is just an observation, not necessarily a criticism. I still have to commend this effort, kudos to Mr. Manriquez. I have found some new voices here that I know are sure to make a difference in the changing landscape of American literature.

I read this book a couple of years ago and I will always remember it as an excellent anthology of gay Latino writing. The abstract "My Name, Multitudinos Mass" by Larry la Fountain-Stokes is the weakest in the bunch. I recommended this anthology to my G&L book group who was very impressed with the the writing. Highly recommended, I don't think you'll be disappointed. I do think several so called "gay writers" could take lessons in effective story telling from the authors in this collection.

This book is one of the weakest collections of stories I've ever read. Painted Leaf Press has a habit of throwing out half-baked stories. It's called Editor. Get one. Many of these stories had great potential, but lacked execution. Others were just cliche. Emanuel Xavier paints a nice story. but his words on the page are flat, flat, flat. The strongest, most complete stories are by a group of San Francisco writers: Jaime Cortez, Joel Villalon and Al Lujan. They have even stronger pieces in another book that came out a year after this one: Virgins, Guerrillas and Locas. You'd be better served getting that book instead. it has a better cover too.