Book Talk: Anthology by Roberto Perezdiaz

Another person with local history has become a published author. Roberto Perezdiaz has produced an anthology of his short stories, “Subsonic Flight to Tequila Therapy and Other Tales from Aztlan” (2022, 232 pages in paperback format). Perezdiaz was a court interpreter in Madera (the subject of the fourth short story) and was married to the late Gloria Osuna, the artist who created the Aztec-inspired Coyolxauhqui Madre Cosmica exhibit, which Rochelle Noblett brought to our gallery from an art museum in El Paso, Texas, when she was executive director of the Madera County Arts Council.

There is a continuing essence of fatalistic philosophy throughout the book, even in the stories that are quite humorous. The author also uses the technique of code-switching, that is changing from English to Spanish and then back again. However, he explains the meaning of unfamiliar Spanish expressions so that non-Spanish speakers don’t get lost.

Perezdiaz has bundled ten of his stories into one package, and the diversity of topics and techniques runs the gamut from a brief “slice of life” to a story that is nearly long enough to be a novella. And the voice ranges from itinerant field worker to college-educated professional. But regardless of the tone of the stories, all are truly tales from Aztlan, a culture that is obviously close to the author’s heart.