Re: RARA-AVIS: Wherefore Art thou, Chester?

Mario Taboada (matrxtech@sprintmail.com)
Fri, 13 Mar 1998 09:56:05 +0000 Several of Chester Himes's novels have been reissued by Thunder's Mouth
Press, a small company out of New York city. They are good-looking trade
paperbacks. They seem to be well distributed - I have six or seven, all
bought at various non-specialist bookstores. They also issued the
complete short stories of Himes, an absorbing collection that helped me
understand him a little better. Many stories take place in prison or in
the ghetto, and are heart-wrenching in their realism and sadness, with
an extremely funny bit here and there - typical Himes touches.

There is also a brief but interesting analysis of his work, published by
Twayne (I can't remember the author right now).

Lastly, there is a short book called "A Case of Rape", published in
English by Howard University Press in the eighties - it's a masterpiece
of true crime. The writing is incandescent, as good as anything by
Willeford. I highly recommend this book (which had appeared in French
many years before).

Regards,

Mario Taboada
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