Fray Angélico Chávez - (Pasó Por Aquí the Nuevomexicano Literary Heritage) by Ellen McCracken (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

New Mexico's first Franciscan priest, Fray Angélico Cheavez (1910-1996) is known as a prolific historian, a literary and artistic figure, and an intellectual who played a vital role in Santa Fe's community of writers. The original essays collected here explore his wide-ranging cultural production: fiction, poetry, architectural restoration, journalism, genealogy, translation, and painting and drawing. Several essays discuss his approach to history, his archival research, and the way in which he re-centers ethnic identity in the prevalent Anglo-American master historical narrative. Others examine how he used fiction to bring history alive and combined visual and verbal elements to enhance his narratives. Two essays explore Chávez's profession as a friar. The collection ends with recollections by Thomas E. Chávez, historian and Fray Angélico's nephew.

Readers familiar with Chávez's work as well as those learning about it for the first time will find much that surprises and informs in these essays.

From the Back Cover

A well-balanced summary of Fray Angélico Chávez's contributions to New Mexico literature and art.

About the Author

Ellen McCracken is a professor of Spanish at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is also the author of New Latina Narrative: The Feminine Space of Postmodern Ethnicity and Decoding Women's Magazines: From Mademoiselle to Ms.