Luis Leal

Miguel de Quintana was among those arriving in New Mexico with Diego de Vargas in 1694. He was active in his village of Santa Cruz de la Cañada, where he was a notary and secretary to the alcalde mayor, functioning as a quasi-attorney. Being unusually literate, he also wrote personal poetry for himself and religious plays for his community. His conflicted life with local authorities began in 1734 when he was accused of being a heretic. What unfolded was a personal drama of intrigue before the colonial Inquisition.In this fascinating volume Lomelí and Colahan reveal Quintana's writings from deep within Inquisition archives and provide a translation of and critical look at Quintana's poetry and religious plays.

Cajas de cartón is the first title in the literary series Nuestra visión: U.S. Latino Literature, which features original works by Latino authors living and working in the United States. This work is the Spanish version of the author's award-winning collection of stories, The Circuit. Jiménez' 12 independent but intertwined short stories chronicle the experiences of a Mexican-American family of migrant farm laborers, as narrated by one of the children, Panchito. Unlike many readers for this level, which anthologize standard works, this book presents authentic, outstanding literature and themes that are highly relevant to native Spanish speakers in the U.S.