Thirteen Ways of Looking at Latino Art

"In these freewheeling conversations, Ilan Stavans and Jorge J. E. Gracia cover key background for defining Latino art, including ethnicity, immigration, identity, assimilation, community, and language. The writers' distinct personalities keep their discussions lively and surprising. A special contribution of this book is to highlight artists whose works the reader may not already know. The authors offer insights into the thirteen works they discuss in detail, drawing upon a myriad of art historical and literary allusions in a conversation that is often erudite but never dull." -- Cynthia Freeland, author of Portraits and Persons "While there are moments at which the writers arrive at a fresh viewing, they more often use the art as a platform to speak broadly of human life, preferring the wide aperture of much philosophic writing that can lend itself to generalizations. Usefully, the sweeping nature of many statements is offset by the dialogic mode, with both writers as comfortable disagreeing as they are bolstering each other's insights. While there are moments that lag, there are also moments that shine, especially when Stavans and Gracia draw on their own lived experiences, twining narrative with philosophy." Publishers Weekly "These multidisciplinary musings aimed at scholars of art, language, and identity will be enjoyed by those who are content to ponder, wander, and disagree alongside the authors." -- Lindsay King Library Journal