European Perspectives on Hispanic Literature of the United States ed. by Genevieve Fabre, and: Chicana Creativity and Criticism: Charting New Frontiers in American Literature ed. by María Herrera-Sobek and Helena María Viramontes

Abstract

270 Western American Literature I found the book enjoyable in its recounting of some of Hemingway’s early life and later exploits but the constant lecturing on psychoanalysis was intrusive. The book was uneven in chapter length (2.5 pages to 11), and in continuity. One chapter would describe several episodes, the next would discuss psychoanalysis. In my opinion, the treatment was too brief, not integrated and less than original. The recent Hemingway biography by Kenneth Lynn is a similar fictional account. Hemingway had little use for psychiatrists and psy­ chologists and I don’t believe this book would have changed his opinion. CARL D. CHENEY Utah State University European Perspectives on Hispanic Literature of the United States. Edited by Genevieve Fabre. (Houston: Arte Publico Press, 1988. 160 pages, $8.50.) Chicana Creativity and Criticism: Charting New Frontiers in American Litera­ ture. Edited by Maria Herrera-Sobek and Helena Maria Viramontes. (Hous­ ton: Arte Publico Press, 1988. 190 pages, $10.00.) Both collections contain material from conferences on Hispanic cultures and literature, one held in Paris in 1986, the other in Irvine in 1987. The title, European Perspectives on Hispanic Literature of the United States, is, in fact, misleading since the Paris conference united European and American scholars in order to “celebrate and discuss the esthetics, history and contributions of literature produced by Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans and other Hispanics of the United States.” There are also inconsisten­ cies between what is announced in the introduction and on the back cover and what the book actually covers. For example, the cover mentions a study of Sandra Cisneros; this, however, is not included. Nevertheless, the collection affords a unique opportunity to compare and contrast European and American approaches to Hispanic literature, and the eleven critical essays are of consistently high quality. They use a broad range of methodological approaches but are unified in their concern for the identifica­ tion of the socio-historical experience and the cultural situation of Hispanics as expressed in literature. While a few essays examine Nuyorican poetry, those on Mexican American literature occupy the central position and are of special interest to western American studies. It is interesting to compare and contrast French and American perspec­ tives on major Chicano writers. For example, in discussing Rudolfo Anaya’s Heart of Aztlan, French critic Jean Cazemajou applies Roland Barthes’ eurocentric theory of “l’ecriture,” whereas Alurista explores the indigenous myth of Aztlan in the novel. Two articles focus exclusively on Chicana writing. Gloria Velasquez-Trevino examines early Chicana writers and argues against the Reviews 271 common belief that they were “assimilationist, tame and imitative, romantic and pastoral.” And French feminist critic Marcienne Rocard discusses recent Chicana poetry to prove her contention that the Chicana is not twice but four times a minority. Entirely devoted to recent Chicana writing is the anthology Chicana Creativity and Criticism: Charting New Frontiers in American Literature. The editors compiled this collection of poetry, prose, and critical essays in order to “celebrate” the conference on Mexican American Women’s Literature held in Irvine, California, in the spring of 1987. The book is an ambitious venture. The editors claim to have included works that are innovative in form and content. In their words the collected works are “daring inroads into ‘new frontiers’ which the authors make in their writings. The poets, short story writers and critics are all taking risks, they are expanding the boundaries of Chicana literature and literary criticism, offering new vistas and new possi­ bilities.” The poetry section, consisting of poems by Lorna Dee Cervantes, Lucha Corpi, Evangelina Vigil-Pinon, and Denise Chavez, is daring in its exploration of often repressed topics such as Chicana sexuality and eroticism. The prose fiction section bears witness to the innovativeness of Chicana writing. Denise Chavez blurs traditional genres by combining “theatre, sculp­ ture, folk belief and folk art” in her Novena Narrativas y Ofrendas Nuevomexicanas . Roberta Fernandez’ short story “Andrea” is an effective combination of a narrative and a history of Mexican American theatre. And in her short story “Miss Clairol” Helena Maria Viramontes deals with a factory worker, by now representative of a large segment of the Chicana population. The five critical essays...