Accomplished Ignorant

By Edmundo Barraza Book available on Amazon.com SUMMARY After many years of abuse, a troubled man gets his revenge. First, he kills his father, whom he deeply hates. When he accidentally kills a thief, a serial killer is born. His loving grandmother becomes an eager accomplice. To get rid of the bodies, he begins to feed the homeless, winos, and drug addicts that gather in a decrepit park…

Most people would agree that committing suicide is cowardly, but I can’t entirely agree. I’m sure it requires a lot of guts to do it. Other people would say you’re a coward if you commit suicide, but if you did, why would you care what they think if you’re already dead?Of course, I’m not an expert on the subject. I would have to kill myself to be an expert, but then, I wouldn’t. I’d just be dead.…

I’d like to know how potent and effective holy water is.I’d like to know whether the Pope has greater blessing powers than a simple priest.I’d like to know how far a drop of holy water would reach in the ocean.Would the entire ocean be blessed, along with the rest of the oceans on the planet?Does a gallon of holy water have more reach than just one drop?And if I throw holy water on the ground,…

Llegué al aeropuerto de Tijuana una fría mañana a finales de 1977. Había decidido cruzar ilegalmente la frontera de Estados Unidos. No tenía ni una pizca de miedo. Me sentía listo y capaz, y estaba contento de hacerlo. Sabía que era el momento perfecto para hacerlo, excepto por una cosa: mi esposa estaba embarazada de siete meses de nuestro primer hijo. Tenía el presentimiento de que sería una…

I arrived at the Tijuana airport one cold morning in October 1977. I had decided to cross the US border illegally. I was young and fearless, and I was glad I was doing it. I knew it was the perfect time to do it—except for one thing: My wife was seven months pregnant with our first baby. I had a hunch she would be a girl. I even had a name for her already—Michelle.I’ve never been to this city.…

INTRODUCTION An unfortunate accident forces Pablo to flee Mexico for the United States, where he begins to adapt to and fall in love with his new country. Things get more entertaining and complicated when his cousin Julian immigrates and joins him. ***** I’m an exile. I fled from Mexico in a hurry. The reason was just a tragic, unexpected accident. I didn’t have time to pack anything.…

(A bilingual poem—4 decades in LA) Solo, al principio, a la mitad y al finalAlone, at all stages in my lifePrestando siempre atención a todo lo irrelevanteIgnoring always the most essentialPersiguiendo siempre a la siempre elusiva felicidadTomando caminos equivocados, desviados, perdidos y escondidosFinding friends anywhere, everywhere, hundreds of themDifferent colors, levels, religions, good…

Me acuerdo muy bien de ese día. Me acuerdo muy claramente porque era mi cumpleaños. Estoy cien por ciento seguro de que ese día yo cumplía quince años. O dieciséis. Inmediatamente después de ponerme los zapatos, sentí un pequeño bulto dentro del zapato derecho. No era duro como una piedra, era algo entre duro y suave, no sé cómo describirlo exactamente, tampoco era muy pequeño. No me molestaba…

Jose was an excellent craftsman. He made hand-spinning tops, caps, balls, puppets, and other wooden toys. The quality of the toys didn’t match the low selling price. The toys accounted for a significant portion of his profits. Pancho was a vital part of the business. Pancho was an alcoholic and Jose’s partner, best friend, and, most importantly, a crucial element of his show. The donkey carried a…

Quiero volver a nacer. Quiero ser niño otra vez. Quiero ser adolescente otra vez. Quiero montar una motocicleta o un caballo. Quiero ser ciudadano universal. Sin color ni bandera. Quiero noches turbulentas y días acelerados. Quiero defender a las injusticias y ofender a los injustos. Quiero vivir sin morir. Quiero a Diego (sin derramar una lágrima). Quiero derramar muchas lágrimas sin…

INTRODUCCION Un niño sueña con una vida mejor para sus padres y su hermana menor cuando una grave sequía afecta a su pequeño campo y amenaza el modo de vida de la familia. El padre está al borde de la desesperación, pero sus hijos tienen influencias más allá de las nubes y su fe es inquebrantable. ***** El paisaje no podía ser más horrendo ni más devastador. La tierra se veía triste y gris, y…

INTRODUCTION Visalia is a small city located in the central part of California. In this particular story, some of the events were real. When my wife and I moved into this house, a few strange things began to happen: noises, such as slamming doors and music coming from nowhere, along with other mysterious little details. Still, the most terrifying thing happened when my wife was in the kitchen…

Amor leal y promiscuo hacia el barrio de mi juventud. La colonia Moderna, un nombre perfectamente inadecuado. Mi vecina, la Plaza de Toros Torreón, coloso de cemento, infernal y abominable, pero a mí me parecía perfecta y con una capacidad inverosímil. (Ojos neófitos e infantiles). Las corridas de toros y la lucha libre, espectáculos al alcance de todos, entrada a los niños: un peso. Siempre…

En el México de mi infancia, en el México donde crecí, todos los barrios marginales tenían uno. Sus familias los escondían, con mucha vergüenza, en las habitaciones traseras de sus casas. Les ponían diferentes nombres: lunático, loco, desquiciado, chiflado, demente o cosas peores.Mi madre me enseñó a ser respetuoso con todos y a no reírme nunca de nadie con deficiencias mentales o físicas.…

My dad wasn’t ignorant but ignored many things Wasn’t exceptionally educated but knew many things Another century, another country My dad claimed his friends were degrees without lawyers And considered himself a lawyer without a degree He couldn’t finish Law school lack of funds, he said. Them hardly working and making tons of money Him, working hard and making only pennies My dad loved…