Los Muertos

Observed in Mexico and parts of the United States, El Da de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a celebratory holiday. Los Muertos is the first anthology of fiction relating to or inspired by this bicultural tradition. Each of the two dozen Mexican and Mexican American writers featured here has a unique affinity for the myriad ideas connected closely to the El Da de Muertossome in less obvious ways. The stories connect to the metaphors and connotations related to memorializing the dead, some reflecting on the ritualized and religious aspects of what has become a commercialized holiday and others reacting to such cultural appropriations. In celebration and reconciliation, stories like Alessandra Narvez Varelas, told from the point of view of a Da de los Muertos wreath, and Marytza Rubios, about a young woman trying to rewrite a young mans death through parallel dimensions, illustrate the ways Latino cultures process death. From Kirstin Valdez Quades little girl struggling to accept her mothers abandonment to David Rices character forgiving himself in remembrance of his daughters namesake, each character fully embraces what it means to look death in the face and celebrate the losses of the departed. From solemn ofrendas and milagros to everyday acts far removed from any trace of pan de muerto or papel picado, these diverse stories call us to appreciate the holidays broader cultural significance. Writers include Ana Gloria lvarez Pedrajo, Rosa Beltrn, Ana Garca Bergua, Ana Castillo, Lucha Corpi, Kali Fajardo-Anstine, Fernando A. Flores, Elizabeth Gonzalez James, Diana Lpez, Lorraine M. Lpez, Alberto Reyes Morgan, Manuel Muoz, Alessandra Narvez-Varela, Guadalupe Nettel, Daniel A. Olivas, Pedro ngel Palou, Rene S Perez II, Kirstin Valdez Quade, David Rice, Alberto Ros, Ito Romo, Marytza K. Rubio, Socorro Venegas, and Dsire Zamorano.