Saturday, May 05, 2018

A Tribute to Aristeo Brito, Camarada y Autor by AntonioSolisGomez


Dr. Aristeo Brito was professor of Spanish at Pima Community College and in his later years, the head of the department. He was an active member of the Southside Presbyterian Churc that actively pursues the rights of immigrants by placing drinking water at strategic points in and around the desert that surrounds Tucson and by providing sanctuary and counseling to immigrants. He was also active in helping free prisoners that have been wrongly incarcerated in the penal system. He wrote the novel "the Devil in Texas, a classic in Chicano Literature.

Aristeo died on Monday April 30th 2018. He was 75

The Devil in Texas
Aristeo Brito, translated by David William Foster
a bilingual edition
Clásicos Chicanos/ Chicano Classics #5
Winner of the 1990 Western States Book Award for Fiction
Using legends, folklore, and oral history, Aristeo Brito weaves the struggles of the oppressed and exploited agrarian community of Presidio, Texas, through three historical periods. Greed personified, the devil swings back and forth between Presidio and Ojinaga (across the border in Mexico) and savors the betrayals and violent deaths that choke Presidio's history. Through four generations the Uranga family confronts the devil with quiet heroism. Readers of Spanish will marvel at the unique mixture of Chicano Spanish, standard Spanish, and English - all used to reflect different realitites and levels of awareness.

"Brito . . . is a writer of impressive range and possibility." -Western States Book Awards Jury

"A book of consuming character and muted passion." - Los Angeles Times 



 







Noche negra y oscura
Ni luz de luna o estrella
Quieta la noche
cuando llegó la muerte
por Aristeo

Fallecío entre recuerdos
de chavalos encuerados
en el río que léntamente
cruza la frontera

fue el, que se clavó
y con sonrisa brotó
pegando un grito
muy mexicano

alegre el chavo
listo también
nunca quedó agachado o
de rodillas el los algondonales

pero si
de rodillas ante su jefa
y asina le suplicaba a DIOS
pidiéndole paz y humildad

huyó de ahí
a tierras desérticas
encontrando su propia voz
gritándole al Diablo en Tejas


“de corajes me libro

ya no me chinges
con rabia
y envidias”

asina fue su vida
limpia
apasionada
contento de si mismo

By AntonioSolisGomez

Soutside Presbyterian Church, Memorial Service for Aristeo

2 comments:

Jose said...

Beautiful poem hermano: a tribute to Aristeo.

Anonymous said...

Rest in peace my dear friend 🙏