The Chasers

by Renato Rosaldo

Renato Rosaldo's new prose poetry collection shares his experiences and those of his group of twelve Mexican American Tucson High School friends known as the Chasers as they grew up, graduated, and fell out of touch. Derived from interviews with the Chasers and three other friends conducted after their fiftieth high school reunion, Rosaldo's poems present a chorus of distinct voices and perspectives that convey the realities of Chicano life on the borderlands from the 1950s to the present.

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published May 3, 2019

About the author

Renato Rosaldo is Professor of Cultural Anthropology and Social and Cultural Analysis at New York University, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and past president of the American Ethnological Society. He is the author of The Day of Shelly's Death: The Poetry and Ethnography of Grief, Culture and Truth and Ilongot Headhunting, 1883–1974, and two award-winning poetry collections, Diego Luna's Insider Tips and Prayer to Spider Woman/Rezo a la Mujer Araña.

Reviews

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in high school nearly two decades after Renato Rosaldo and about a hundred miles north of his teenage home in Tucson, but this small book touched me and reminded me of my own Phoenix high school experience in many ways. A lovely, poetic reminiscence of what seems like a lovely group of fellas who sure have made something of themselves. The book's design elements and the photos bring this book to life.

[Fernando · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was immediately transported back to the 1950s where stereotypes and prejudices prevailed. I admire Rosaldo for tackling the Chicano youth experience of the 1950s, something that is heavily overlooked in film/mass media. I learned so much about the role of comradeship and how despite all odds overcoming structural barriers is possible when you surround yourself with people that view you as an equal.

[Jeanette]

It’s interesting how Renato Rosaldo weaves this poetic narrative together and feels perfect for its purpose. His ethnographic approach is evident as he creates creative prose so that there’s weight to the story's themes, like socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and the life of adolescents near the Mexican border in the 1950s. This is a great book to explore if you're a creative non-fiction writer.

[Bonisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting concept - but more prose than prose-poetry. the narrative elements become repetitive.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not exactly what I'd call poetry or even prose-poetry ... more ethnographic remembrances, but it's beautiful and I want everyone I know to read it!