Mercedes (EUA), 1929

Flávio Aguiar

Considered one of the founders of Hispanic-American literature in the United States, he received the Casa de las Américas Prize for his series of stories about his region, the Rio Grande (known as Rio Bravo on the Mexican side). The characteristics of this border area are also reflected in his Latin-American and Anglo-American origins, which he claims have generated a third culture typical of the Texas valley. Concerned with the survival of this culture, he employs light humor, agile conversational prose, and the recovery of oral tradition, juxtaposing local memories and testimonies in brief narratives.

Klail City y sus alrededores (1976) revisits some elements from his previous book, Estampas del Valle y otras obras (1973), and creates a fictional place in South Texas. With a literature populated by marginal characters, he is committed to telling stories that differ from the official narrative, which he argues is manipulated by North American economic power. He teaches at the University of Texas and writes essays and poems. Another work: Partners in Crime (1990).