In Aristeo Brito's experimental fiction The Devil in Texas/El diablo en Texas, the border world is brought to life in vivid dialogue and dramatic encounters. We were struck especially by the brilliance of the imagery depicting Presidio, a sort of prison, stockade, and enduring village on the border of Mexico and Texas. It is an imagery arising from the shape of the land and surrounding nature as it meets and defines the experience of displaced Mexicans from the annexation of Texas in 1938, up to the present. Brito has a serious and resonant talent and is a writer of impressive range and possibility.
Composed in Spanish and beautifully rendered into English by David William Foster, The Devil in Texas is a unique contribution to the Hispanic-American literature of our country.
"In Brito's novel fiction and history blend harmoniously to give us an insightful view of border society, One of the best contributions to this important and growing subgenre." –Luis Leal
"Presidio is the prison inhabited by the devil, the demon of the underdogs for whom the Rio Grande becomes the River Styx and the earth they work the labor of Sisyphus. The novel is a modern parable in which the devil roams the land, and the only hope lies in the reader's heart." –Rudolfo A. Anaya
To order this title, phone toll free (866) 965-3867 or email brp@asu.edu.
