Red Beans [Paperback]

Victor Hernandez Cruz (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The "red beans" of this collection of poems and prose are a pun on "red be-ings"--characters who inhabit Hernandez Cruz's ( Snaps ) native Puerto Rico and hail from totally different cultures and ages. In the poet's inclusive imagination, Puerto Rican history connects with all history, so mythic figures live next door to Jibaro mountain folk. In the poem "Mithra" the appearance of the Persian god of light "upon the beaches / Of Cabo Rojo" transforms a multitude of bathers into the words of Chilam Balam--the Jaguar priest or scholar-sage of ancient Yucatec Indians. In his short essay on low riders--Latino versions of hot rods--Hernandez Cruz sees in customization a style of "Gothic mixed with Toltecas." Although he writes in English, Hernandez Cruz spices his language with Spanish. "National languages melt, sail into each other," he suggests in a provocative essay on Hispanic writing in the U.S., and through Latino presence in North America "the syntax of English is being changed." Certainly this is true in his own work. The result is the successful expansion of a perspective born in the Caribbean into a world view of striking vitality and importance.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

"Migration is the story of my body, it is the condition of this age," says Cruz (b. 1949 in Puerto Rico) in Red Beans , a collection of his poems and story-essays that explore the difficult marriage between "Northern Americana" and the "Hispano-Criollo-Caribbean" culture. With a hybrid accent as spicy as salsa, this energetic poet advocates a "society of the Americas," an enriched "racial and spiritual mixing" of diverse cultural values in which "the popular muse belongs to everybody." ("The Caribbean is a place of great convergence," he says.) Using the "person-to-person" voice of the campesino (it's been called "Spanglish"), Cruz discusses Old San Juan, Columbus, low riders, Hispanic-American writers, and colorful Puerto Rican people. Like a traveler discovering a New World, "flavorful and multi-meaningful," this vigorous bilingual Latino troubadour's poems and essays are "a dance on the edges."--Frank Allen, SUNY at Cobleskill
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Coffee House Press (July 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0918273919
• ISBN-13: 978-0918273918
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,546,973 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique and powerful poetry with distinct Latin flavor, December 7, 2005

By 

Erick Ritchie (California, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Red Beans (Paperback)

One of the first things a reader will notice about this book is that Victor Cruz is a man who writes from his heart. Secondly they will notice that his poetry doesn't seem to follow any set style, but rather is based on his unique and keen observations on life. One moment he will be sharing wisdom about the risk of death by mangoes propelled by gale force winds, the next he will be quoting Basho in Spanish.

From the spice and passion of his Puerto Rican heritage comes a mystic of language who walks a road that intersects with many others, and his writing is a powerful reflection of this. Some of his "poems" are very short, mere quotes at times, while others are more akin to short stories. But there is much more than poetry to be found in this book, such as when the author discusses aspects of his cultural heritage, particularly Salsa dancing. When I first purchased this book many years ago I didn't find much interest in this, but now as an adult who loves to dance Salsa, I have a newfound appreciation for his discussion on the roots of this beautiful and exotic dance. But I would urge new readers of Victor's work to look deeper than his words, for he imparts much of his wisdom in the spaces in between.

Back in the early 90's I had the opportunity to meet Victor Cruz and to hear him read selected poems from Red Beans. All I can say is that there is a special magic that happens when he reads in front of an audience...and words cannot do it justice. I am unsure if Victor is still doing readings in the United States, but if you ever have an opportunity to hear him read in person, do not miss it. It is an experience you will never forget.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent rhythm, color and texture of his homeland, January 31, 2000

By 

Connie Crawford (NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Red Beans (Paperback)

Cruz writes with such expression and feeling. Enjoyable reading