Sigüenza 1

Manuel Sigüenza

Mr. Damaso

Honors English II, Period 7

25 March 2010

SRP Annotated Bibliography for Alberto Ríos

"Alberto (Alvaro) Ríos." Contemporary Authors Online. Detroit: Gale, 2005. Literature

Resource Center. Web. 23 Mar. 2010. <http://go.galegroup.com>.

This article tells of his marriage to María Guadalupe and of his son Joaquin Ríos. (Biography)

"American Life in Poetry.(THE HOME FORUM)." The Christian Science Monitor. (Jan 30,

2006): 18. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. 25 Mar. 2010. <http://find.galegroup.com>.

The article examines the poem “A Yellow Leaf” and states that the small things in life bring

satisfaction into however insignificant they may be. (Literary Criticism)

"Hispanic American Employment: Labor Issues." UXL Multicultural. Online ed. Detroit: UXL,

2003. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. 25 Mar. 2010 <http://find.galegroup.com>.

In this article, it explains the effects of NAFTA and how it leads to maquiladoras and their unfair

wages. This is a possible factor in Ríos’ poetry because it was very close to the border, where he

spent most of his life.

"Island of the Three Marias." Poetry for Students. Ed. Elizabeth Thomason. Vol. 11. Detroit:

Gale Group, 2001. 78-89. Poetry for Students. Web. 23 Mar. 2010. <http://go.galegroup.com>.

This article explains that Ríos’ poetry is mostly about borders because of where he was from,

Nogales, Arizona. (Biography) "Populations and Population Movements."

Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition. Encyclopædia

Britannica, 2010. Web. 25 Mar. 2010 <http://www.school.eb.com/>.

 Sigüenza 2

According to this article, the increase in population during the 1990s was due to immigration

from the Mexican border. This might be an influence to Ríos’ work since he is a Mexican-

American and was close to the Mexican culture. (Historical Context)

"Still going after them; Immigration and the law." The Economist (US). 393. 8654 (Oct 24,

2009): 50EU. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. 25 Mar. 2010 <http://find.galegroup.com>.

This article shows how Sheriff Joe Arpaio is out to seek Hispanic illegal immigrants and deport

them. This potentially affects his poetry by potentially provoking to not deport the immigrants.

(Historical Context)

Behrendt, Stephen C. "Alberto Rios. The Theater of Night." Prairie Schooner 81.4 (2007): 183+.

Literature Resource Center. Web. 25 Mar. 2010. <http://go.galegroup.com>.

“The River Was Their Honeymoon” uses repetition of important parts of the poem to bring the

word out to the reader and to grasp the characters’ culture. (Literary Criticism)

Davis, Robert Murray. "Review of The Smallest Muscle in the Human Body." World Literature

Today 77.2 (July-Sept. 2003): 105. Rpt. in Poetry Criticism. Ed. Lawrence J. Trudeau. Vol. 57.

Detroit: Gale, 2004. Literature Resource Center. Web. 25 Mar. 2010.

<http://go.galegroup.com>.

In this article, it discusses the poem “My Chili” which is said to discuss the kick in the vegetable

and dualities between chili and other vegetables. (Literary Criticism)

Deters, Joseph. "Fireworks on the Borderlands: A Blending of Cultures in the Poetry of Alberto

Ríos." Confluencia 15.2 (Spring 2000): 28-35. Rpt. in Poetry Criticism. Ed. Lawrence J.

Trudeau. Vol. 57. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Literature Resource Center. Web. 25 Mar. 2010.

<http://go.galegroup.com>.
 Sigüenza 3

This article finds in “Day of the Refugios” that there is a unique combination of American and

Mexican culture for those who live on the Mexican-American border. (Literary Criticism)

Gregory, Gwen. "Capirotada: A Nogales Memoir.(Review)(Brief Article)." Library Journal.

124. 16 (Oct 1, 1999): 120. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. 25 Mar. 2010

<http://find.galegroup.com>.

This article states that Ríos was surrounded by a mixture of cultures because he lived near the

Mexican-American border. (Biography)

Saldívar, José David. "' Denver Quarterly." Denver Quarterly 17.2 (Summer 1982): 141-144.

Rpt. in Poetry Criticism. Ed. Lawrence J. Trudeau. Vol. 57. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Literature

Resource Center. Web. 25 Mar. 2010. <http://go.galegroup.com>.

For the poem “Madre Sofía”, this article provides an idea of what Ríos’ life was like in Nogales

and how innocence can describe things in a way that is humorous and frightening. (Literary

Criticism)

Vela, Richard. "The Idea of Boundaries in the Work of Alberto Ríos." Pembroke Magazine 34

(2002): 115-122. Rpt. in Poetry Criticism. Ed. Lawrence J. Trudeau. Vol. 57. Detroit: Gale,

2004. Literature Resource Center. Web. 23 Mar. 2010. <http://go.galegroup.com>.

In this article, the poem “Nani” shows struggles between people because of language. (Literary

Criticism)