Devil Talk: Stories [Paperback]

Daniel A. Olivas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2005

In these short stories, men and women confront evil in all its forms, drama, and even humor against a backdrop of Chicano and Mexican culture. Situations range from the bizarre to the very real. In "Sight," a young man is allowed to see exactly what his girlfriend is doing when she leaves their home. A botched robbery in "Jorge, Get the Gun" leads to murder the same day JFK is buried. In the end, Devil Talk shocks, amuses, and tantalizes as it explores human passions and the corruption we valiantly attempt to avoid as we wander through life. These twenty-six stories bring us to a place once inhabited by Rod Serling . . . only the accents have changed. This is Latino fiction at its edgy, fantastical best.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The pleasure of "Devil Talk" is that no story repeats its surprise element, so there's no guessing what happens next. --El Paso Times, September 26, 2004

About the Author

Daniel A. Olivas is the author of Assumption and Other Stories and The Courtship of María Rivera Peña: A Novella (Silver Lake Publishing, 2000). His fiction and poetry have appeared in numerous anthologies and in such literary journals as Exquisite Corpse, THEMA, The MacGuffin, and The Pacific Review. He earned his B.A. in English literature from Stanford University and a law degree from the University of California at Los Angeles. He practices law with the California Department of Justice specializing in land use and environmental enforcement and lives with his wife and son in the San Fernando Valley.

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Bilingual Review Pr (January 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931010277
• ISBN-13: 978-1931010276
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,389,290 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

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A few stories that I liked, October 21, 2010

By 

Celia Flores "Lovz Books" (Orange County) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Devil Talk: Stories (Paperback)

My latest read was chosen based on the cover AND the title.

I mean, look at it! Awesome, right? How can it not compel you to read it?

In the beginning, I found some of these stories particularly uninteresting and confusing at times. I often found myself wondering what the point was. The stories mainly dropped me in the middle of anywhere and endend up taking me to nowhere. I mean, a story should have a beginning, a middle, and an end, even if it's just a short story instead of a novel. These stories didn't really have that.

However, I did find a few stories that I liked.

Like Don de la Cruz and the Devil of Malibu and Devil Talk, which told dark tales of wanting something but instead getting something else in return.

The narration in Ramona was compelling and left me wanting to hear more.

But I'd have to say that I liked the dialogue in Muy Loca Girl the best.

So, in conclusion, you may not like all the stories in this book, but you may find some that you do. So it might be worth reading it.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eerie tales that walk the line of darkness, April 7, 2005

By 

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

This review is from: Devil Talk: Stories (Paperback)

Devil Talk: Stories is an anthology of Latino short fiction, laced with men and women encountering evil, drama, even humor amid the everyday life of Chicano and Meixcano culture. Author Daniel A. Olivas, published in numerous anthologies and literary journals including "The MacGuffin" and "The Pacific Review", presents his wickedest work in these eerie tales that walk the line of darkness, from a botched robbery with deadly consequences on the same day that JFK is buried to a young man's preternatural ability to see exactly what his girlfriend is doing when he is away. An enthralling collection; the stories are so tantalizing that they are best devoured all at once.