Elegy on the Death of Cesar Chavez

By Rudolfo Anaya

Book Overview

The heroic life of labor and civil rights activist C sar Chav z greatly influenced the political and creative thinking of famed Chicano novelist Rudolfo Anaya. After Chav z' death in 1992, Anaya wrote this poem eulogizing the man and his life's work. Echoing Shelley's elegy on the death of John Keats, the poem expresses the grief of la gente, but closes by calling all peoples together to continue the non-violent struggle for freedom and justice. The book--endorsed by the C sar Chav z Foundation--includes an essay by Anaya detailing the effect that Chav z had on his own vision and a chronology of Chav z' life. Powerful super realistic illustrations by Gaspar Enriquez bring home the significance of C sar Chav z to the American cultural landscape.

C sar Chav z' accomplishments in fighting for the rights of farm workers, civil rights, environmental justice, and non-violence stand next to two of the 20th century's greatest leaders--Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.--Carlos Santana

Rudolfo Anaya (his classic novel Bless Me, Ultima has 1,000,000-plus in print) has earned international acclaim for his skillful mingling of realism, fantasy and myth while exploring the experiences of Hispanics in the American Southwest. Besides being the author of numerous novels and children's books, Mr. Anaya has been called the godfather of Chicano literature and un hijo del pueblo for his work as an activist for the literature of his people and his region. He lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Artist Gaspar Enriquez is nationally known for his super-realistic, airbrush paintings of young men and women from the barrios of his hometown El Paso. Using the same technique, he collaged images of C sar Chav z, farm workers, police, newspaper article, fields of grapes and icons of La Raza and Aztl n to create the ambiance of the life and times of this hero.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0938317512
• ISBN13: 9780938317517
• Release Date: October 2000
• Publisher: Cinco Puntos Press
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 10.0" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 10 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 7

Customer Reviews

Wonderful elegy

I ordered two of these by mistake, but was glad I did, as I gave one as a Christmas gift. A moving elegy for a great American leader who should be remembered for generations to come.

The spirit of Cesar Chavez

Cesar Chavez was a champion of the people and Rodolfo Anaya tries to convey that with his use of language. Publishers Weekly claims Anaya is "bogged down in flowery metaphors." I would disagree. Rather I see this tribute and the choice of words to describe Chavez and his times as an eloquent use of language. The target audience is young children who have no concept of Chavez and his struggles; if anything the pictures painted with words or concepts might be too difficult to grasp for a young mind. Enter the teacher or parent to supplement the information and simplify. Each page has a theme with Anaya's poetry capturing and puntuating the point. Of particualr interest are the illustrations which are excellent and quite powerful. Each illustration corresponds with the poetry and theme of the page. The book is one that calls for young people to remember the struggles of the civil rights era for Chicanos and to continue the fight for equality and justice. The lessons of Chavez's life are given and a plea for people not to fight each other but rather for each other. At the end of the book there is chronolgy of the life of Cesar Chavez that can be useful for the teacher. Ths book would be a nice addition to the classroom or school library for children of the middle school ages. Recommended for children who are learning English in the primary grades.