Octavio Solis
Powell's City of Books 1005 W Burnside Street, Portland, OR, United StatesThe tradition of retablo painting dates back to the Spanish Conquest in both Mexico and the U.S. Southwest. Humble ex-votos, retablos are usually painted on repurposed metal, and in one small tableau they tell the story of a crisis, and offer thanks for its successful resolution. In his uniquely framed memoir, Retablos (City Lights), playwright Octavio Solis channels his youth in El Paso, Texas. From the first terrible self-awareness of racism to inspired afternoons playing air trumpet with Herb Alpert, from an innocent game of hide-and-seek to the discovery of a Mexican girl hiding in the cotton fields, Solis reflects on the moments of trauma and transformation that shaped him into a man.
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