Tex[t]-Mex by William Anthony Nericcio, PhD '89 (Texas)
Tex[t]-Mex
by William Anthony Nericcio, PhD '89 (Texas)
Images of Mexicans in American popular culture often resemble "ugly marionettes in the service of mercenary puppeteers," says Nericcio, professor and chair of English and comparative literature at San Diego State University. In this fusion of cultural critique, deconstruction, and autobiography, he dissects Orson Welles's film Touch of Evil, the transformation of Rita Hayworth's appearance, the alienation and self-loathing of author Richard Rodriguez, the death of actress Lupe Vélez, and the iconography of cartoon characters Ren & Stimpy and Speedy Gonzales. In doing so, he reveals some of the "seductive hallucinations," the hidden and not-so-hidden stereotypes of Mexicans in movies, advertising, and photography.
Queen of the Road by Doreen Orion '81 (Broadway). It's a scenario reminiscent of "Green Acres." Orion is a confirmed indoors-woman; her record for staying inside is 118 hours. Her husband loves the great outdoors. They are both successful psychiatrists. When he wants to take a year off to travel around the country in a converted bus, she must learn how to cram her shoe collection, two cats, a standard poodle, her husband, and herself into 340 square feet. Over the course of 22,000 miles, Orion discovers that the decision to live in a "glorified tin can" turns out all right. "When our living space was downsized, everything was magnified precisely because our horizons were endless."
America Between the Wars by Derek Chollet '93 and James Goldgeier (PublicAffairs). With the destruction of the Berlin Wall and the dismantling of the Soviet Union, the United States declared victory and assumed the role of the world's lone super-power. Chollet, an analyst of American foreign policy at the Center for a New American Security, and Goldgeier, a professor of political science at George Washington University and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, examine the struggles over how to respond to opportunities and threats in the decade between the end of the Cold War and the beginning of the war on terrorism.
Small Loans, Big Dreams by Alex Counts '88 (Wiley). When Muhammad Yunus, founder of the Grameen Bank and pioneer of micro-finance, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, the movement to address poverty through a businesslike strategy gained international attention. In Third World countries, most poor people have a stark choice between self-employment and starvation. Yunus found that providing small loans to poor entrepreneurs could break this vicious cycle, as they became driven businesspeople and lifted themselves out of poverty.
Why You're Wrong About the Right by S. E. Cupp '00 and Brett Joshpe '02 (Simon & Schuster). Tired of seeing misperceptions about their political beliefs in the media, two young conservatives set out to correct the record. Cupp, a reference writer for the New York Times, and Joshpe, an attorney who practices in New York City, interviewed a who's who of American conservatives including Tucker Carlson, Newt Gingrich, David Horowitz, George Will, Shelby Steele, and Ted Nugent. They go behind the stereotypes to show a more nuanced picture of the conservative viewpoint.
Recently Published
Nonfiction
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The Anabasis of Cyrus translated by Wayne Ambler '69 (Cornell University). An associate professor and director of the Herbst Program of Humanities at the University of Colorado, Boulder, presents a new translation of Xenophon's epic of the Ten Thousand, Greek mercenaries stranded deep inside the enemy territory of the Persian Empire, who made a harrowing journey home.
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Cross-Country Skiing in the Sierra Nevada by Tim Hauserman, MRP '84 (The Countryman). The resorts of the Sierra Nevada lie within a few hours' drive of 30 million people. Hauserman, an instructor in Lake Tahoe, gives information on thirteen resorts, including the best trails, safety tips, and how to enjoy the sport.