A combination of reminiscence of Mexican girlhood and cooking, interviews with border people from illegal maids to gigolos to matadors... all explorations of the invisible lines of nationality, culture, sex, food, and blood that divide us and tie us together.
A collection of articles published in S. California magazines and Harpers.
A unique look at border culture from two veteran writers.
Professional Reviews
Luis Urrea: Pulitzer Nominee
Of all the places where cultures meet across imaginary lines, the California / Baja California border is arguably the richest--incultural cross-polinization, in shock, in uproar, in sheer numbers going both ways. San Diego, for example, is the only region where the numbers of undocumented crossers has not dropped, but risen. Tijuana is the most visited tourist city on earth, far outdrawing Disneyworld. This is not an immigration book, nor would I call it a border book. But it is a well-guided journey into an interzone where gigolos and chefs, wanderers and mothers, bad guys and dreamers swirl. Many of its insights make you feel like you've enjoyed a good meal--perhaps a fish taco and a cerveza next to the Mexican sea.
Democratic Dilemmas and Divine Inspiration examines the significance or relevance of the idea that the U.S. Constitution was, as many believe, divinely inspired. How much did that belief matter to founders of the nation and how much does it matter no
Democratic Dilemmas and Divine Inspiration examines the significance or relevance of the idea that the U.S. Constitution was, as many believe, divinely inspired. How much did that belief matter to founders of the nation and how much does it matter no