Flight and Other Stories

by José Skinner

In this rich group of stories about Latinos in the American Southwest, Skinner explores many themes. "Archangela's Place" features a wonderful Mexican character who weaves herself permanently into the lives of an Anglo family with enduring results. "Flight" tackles racial misunderstanding between an urban African-American and a rural Chicano woodcutter. Coming-of-age stories, "Eloy" and "Every Head's A World," illustrate in various degrees of tragedy...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0874173590
• ISBN13: 9780874173598
• Release Date: February 2001
• Publisher: University of Nevada Press
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.2" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

A very impressive collection of stories

The reader (at least this one) sympathizes with both sides of a cultural divide in the stories that have a wide range of Latinos in or having been in New Mexico, southern Colorado, Texas, or southern California. There are Guatemaltecos, Salvadoreans, Chileans, Colombians, unacculturated (to Anglo America) Mexican immigrants, and monolingual English-speaking scions of families long in the US.There is considerable humor, although oftentimes of a quite forlorn form ("Pickup," in particular), hardly any magic realism (just hints in "Archangela's Place"), some Spanish words and expressions that might stump some readers (especially the youthful vato slang in "Eloy"), no graphic sex or violence.Some of the stories (e.g., "Cosas, Inc." and "Tongue") have what I consider firm endings. Some others, especially "Age of Copper" and "Weeds" have interesting and complex characters I'd have been interested to follow further. That is, some of the stories seem embryonic novels.

Correction

A careful reading of Joe Skinner's work would show that much of the sincerity present in his writing comes from the fact that he is racially Anglo and culturally Latino. But that doesn't stop readers from projecting their own hang-ups upon the text in their reviews, does it? A great book from a great writer.

Add to your list of favorites

Jose Skinner will become a household name in American Literature -- and NOT because he is of color. This is an honest, but polished work -- unlike so many first books by authors who have been published only due to their minority status. Skinner is a writer, and he proves it through deft manipulation of the reader through his prose and plotting, and his tireless invention of new stories. Like vitamins, I was taking one story from this book a day on my subway commute, and was sorry to see it end. You don't find gems like this every day!