The remaining titles in this essay—grouped by genre—are original works by the some of the hundreds of Latino/a poets, novelists, and playwrights who contribute to the aesthetic and intellectual culture of the United States today. In poetry, they range from the canonical (William Carlos Williams) to the well recognized (Sandra Cisneros, Richard Blanco, Martín Espada) to the emerging (Eduardo C. Corral, who in 2011 became the first Latino to win the Yale Younger Poets prize). In drama, they range from Pulitzer-prize winners (Nilo Cruz) to important but less-known performance artists. The writers of prose—novels, short stories, memoirs, and autobiographies—range from Pulitzer-prize winners (Oscar Hijuelos) and New York Times best-sellers (Julia Alvarez) to emerging voices. None of these lists is exhaustive; the works selected for inclusion offer points of entry—paths to understanding the intersections of cultures and languages, as well as an opportunity for broadening undergraduate curricula.
Alarcón, Francisco X. From the Other Side of Night = Del otro lado de la noche: New and Selected Poems. Arizona, 2002.
Algarín, Miguel. Survival Supervivencia. Arte Público, 2009.
Archila, William. The Art of Exile. Bilingual Press, 2009.
Asco: Elite of the Obscure: A Retrospective, 1972-1987, ed. by C. Ondine Chavoya and Rita Gonzales. Berlin: Hatje Cantz, 2011. [Also published by LA Art museum and Williams College.]
Baca, Jimmy Santiago. Singing at the Gates: Selected Poems. Grove, 2014.
Blanco, Richard. Looking for the Gulf Motel. Pittsburgh, 2012.
Boyers, Peg. Honey with Tobacco. Chicago, 2007.
Burgos, Julia de. Song of the Simple Truth: Obra complete poética: The Complete Poems. Curbstone Press, 1997.
Campo, Rafael. Alternative Medicine. Duke, 2014.
Candelaria, Xochiquetzal. Empire: Poems. Arizona, 2011.
Cárdenas, Reyes. Chicano Poet, 1970-2010. Aztlan Libre, 2013.
Carrillo, Albino. In the City of Smoking Mirrors. Arizona, 2004.
Castillo, Sandra M. My Father Sings to My Embarrassment. White Pine Press, 2002.
Cisneros, Sandra. My Wicked, Wicked Ways. Third Woman Press, 1987.
Corral, Eduardo C. Slow Lightning: Poems. Yale, [2012].
Diaz, Natalie. When My Brother Was an Aztec. Copper Canyon, 2012.
Dominguez, David. Work Done Right: Poetry. Arizona, 2003.
García, Diana. When Living Was a Labor Camp. Arizona, 2000.
Gomez, Gabriel. The Outer Bands. Notre Dame, 2007.
Gómez-Peña, Guillermo. The New World Border: Prophecies, Poems & Loqueras for the End of the Century. City Lights, 1996.
Guerrero, Laurie Ann. A Tongue in the Mouth of the Dying. Notre Dame, [2013].
Herrera, Juan Felipe. 187 Reasons Why Mexicanos Can’t Cross the Border: Undocuments 1971-2007. City Lights, 2008.
Limón, Ada. Sharks in the Rivers. Milkweed Editions, 2010.
Marcum, Carl. Cue Lazarus. Arizona, 2001.
Martínez, Dionisio D. Climbing Back. Norton, 2001.
Melendez, Maria. Flexible Bones: Poems. Arizona, 2010.
Moraga, Cherrie. A Xicana Codex of Changing Consciousness: Writings, 2000-2010. Duke, 2011.
Morín, Tomás Q. A Larger Country. American Poetry Review, 2012.
Naca, Kristin. Bird Eating Bird. Harper Perennial, 2009.
Perdomo, Willie. The Essential Hits of Shorty Bon Bon. Penguin Poets, [2014].
Pérez Firmat, Gustavo. Bilingual Blues: Poems, 1981-1994. Bilingual Press, 1994.
Pietri, Pedro. Puerto Rican Obituary. Rev. ed. Monthly Review, 1974. Isla Negra Editores, 2000.
Piñero, Miguel. Outlaw: The Collected Works of Miguel Piñero. Arte Público, 2010.
Williams, William Carlos. The Collected Poems of William Carlos Williams, ed. by A. Walton Litz and Christopher MacGowan. 2v. New Directions, 1986, 1988.
Xavier, Emanuel. Americano: Growing Up Gay and Latino in the USA: [Poems]. Queer Mojo, [2012].
Alvarez, Lynne. Collected Plays: v.1. Smith & Kraus, 1998.
Cruz, Nilo. Anna in the Tropics. Theatre Communications Group, 2003.
____. Two Sisters and a Piano and Other Plays. Theatre Communications Group, 2007.
González, José Cruz. Nine Plays by José Cruz González: Magical Realism and Mature Themes in Theatre for Young Audiences, ed. by Coleman A. Jennings. Texas, 2008.
López, Josefina. Simply María, or, The American Dream. Dramatic Pub., 1996.
Montoya, Richard. American Night: The Ballad of Juan José. (Audio CD). L.A. Theatre Works, 2014.
Moraga, Cherríe. Heroes and Saints & Other Plays. West End Press, 1994.
Pietri, Pedro. The Masses Are Asses. Waterfront Press, 1984.
Piñero, Miguel. Short Eyes: A Play. Hill and Wang, 1975.
Prida, Dolores. Beautiful Señoritas & Other Plays, ed. and introd. by Judith Weiss. Arte Público, 1991.
Rivera, José. Marisol and Other Plays. Theatre Communications Group, 1997.
Sanchez-Scott, Milcha. Roosters. Dramatists Play Service, 1988.
Valdez, Luis. Luis Valdez—Early Works: Actos, Bernabé, and Pensamiento Serpentino. Arte Público, 1990.
____. Zoot Suit and Other Plays. Arte Público, 1992.
Alarcón, Daniel. At Night We Walk in Circles. Riverhead, 2013.
Alvarez, Julia. How the García Girls Lost Their Accents. Algonquin Books, 1991.
____. In the Time of the Butterflies. Algonquin Books, 1994.
Anaya, Rudolfo A. Bless Me, Ultima. Quinto Sol, 1972.
____. The Old Man’s Love Story. Oklahoma [2013].
Baca, Jimmy Santiago. A Place to Stand: The Making of a Poet. Grove, 2001.
Bellatín, Mario. Beauty Salon, tr. by Kurt Hollander. City Lights, 2009.
Blanco, Richard. The Prince of los Cocuyos: A Miami Childhood. Ecco [2014].
Castillo, Ana. The Guardians: A Novel. Random House, 2007.
____. So Far from God. W. W. Norton, 1993.
Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. Arte Público, 1984.
____. Woman Hollering Creek, and Other Stories. Random House, 1991.
Clement, Jennifer. Prayers for the Stolen: A Novel. Hogarth [2014].
Díaz, Junot. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Riverhead, 2007.
Florian, Sandy. Boxing the Compass. Noemi Press [2013].
García, Cristina. Dreaming in Cuban. Knopf, 1992.
Grande, Reyna. Across a Hundred Mountains: A Novel. Atria Books, 2006.
____. The Distance between Us: A Memoir. Atria Books, 2012.
Hart, Elva Treviño. Barefoot Heart: Stories of a Migrant Child. Bilingual Press, 1999.
Henríquez, Cristina. The Book of Unknown Americans. Knopf, 2014.
____. The World in Half. Riverhead, 2009.
Hijuelos, Oscar. The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love. Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, 1989.
____. Our House in the Last World: A Novel. Persea Books, 1983.
Martínez, Demetria. The Block Captain’s Daughter. Oklahoma, 2012.
____. Mother Tongue: One World, 1996.
Obeja, Achy. Days of Awe. Ballantine Books, 2002.
____. Ruins. Akashic Books, 2009.
Paredes, Américo. George Washington Gomez: A Mexicotexan Novel. Arte Público, 1990.
____. With His Pistol in His Hand: A Border Ballad and Its Hero. Texas [1958].
Quiñonez, Ernesto. Bodega Dreams. Vintage Contemporaries, 2000.
Rodríguez, Luis J. Always Running: La Vida Loca, Gang Days in L.A. Curbstone, 1993.
Sáenz, Benjamin Alire. Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club. Cinco Puntos, 2012.
Suárez, Virgil. Havana Thursdays: A Novel. Arte Público, 1995.
Sylvester, Natalie. Chasing the Sun. New Harvest/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014.
Thomas, Piri. Down These Mean Streets. Knopf, 1967.
Torres, Justin. We the Animals. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011.
Urrea, Luis Alberto. The Devil’s Highway. Little, Brown, 2004.
____. The Hummingbird’s Daughter. Little, Brown, 2005.
Villarreal, José Antonio. Pocho. Doubleday, 1959.
Villaseñor, Victor. Thirteen Senses: A Memoir. Rayo, 2001.
____. Rain of Gold. Arte Público, 1991.
Viramontes, Helena María. Their Dogs Came with Them: A Novel. Dutton, 2000.
____. Under the Feet of Jesus. Dutton, 1995.
Williams, William Carlos. The Autobiography of William Carlos Williams. New Directions, 1967.