The Pain of the Macho and Other Plays

By Rick Najera

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• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1558851909
• ISBN13: 9781558851900
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Arte Publico Press
• Length: 152 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Najera's 'Macho' is a triumph of the mind and soul

It is difficult enough to capture the essences of culture without lapsing into stereotypes, but author Rick Najera has effortlessly mastered this talent with flying colors. The Pain of the Macho, a book of monologues and one full length play, celebrates the complicated and touching aspects of Latino life, from youth to age, with a cornucopia of characters who display feelings that range from pain to utter hilarity at living in the world today. The book is divided into three parts, the first being 'The Pain of the Macho.' 'Macho is a biting satire of the human ego complex, which jumps from the life of a seductive busboy,to an egotistical college professor to a jilted beauty pagent queen determined not to give up her precious crown. It is with a lighthearted hand that Najera delivers the goods, divulging secrets that only macho men (and women) have known until now. The second part is a journey into the lives of Latino women as well as men - each displaying deep vulnerabilities and issues, such as a young pregnant girl, barely able to care for herself, dealing with the aspects of taking care of a baby. Especially touching is the monologue, 'You know how to whistle, don't you?' a valentine to a Cuban prostitute, who's seduction techniques simultaneously reveal and conceal her pain. Closing the trilogy is the Najera's 'A Quiet Love,' a full length play which follows Najera's own life as well as his family's. The triumph is in the subtlety of his writing - key feelings are disguised as offhand comments, family bloodlines and legacies are revealed ingeniously by an interview with a tape recorder. It is a work that is tinged with sadness yet seeps with strength, crossing the barriers of nationality and labels, into the area where anyone who has ever known a family, can instantly relate. This book is a true triumph of the soul. By Jennifer Anne Perez