‘Latinos’ offers newer writers

“Lengua Fresca: Latinos Writing on the Edge”

edited by Ilan Stavans and Harold Augenbraum (Mariner Books, $13)

The editors of “Lengua Fresca: Latinos Writing on the Edge” want to showcase the “next wave” of Latino writing – authors who, even though they’re bilingual and bicultural, don’t fixate on how their ethnicity makes them different from everyone else. They’re American, and that’s it.

For readers new to contemporary Latino literature, the anthology offers a chance to explore beyond tried-and-true authors such as Sandra Cisneros. Those more familiar with Latino writers might not see any new names, but it’s exciting to see them all in one place. Many of the contributors are ambitious, bright up-and-comers, including Cristina Henriquez (whose stories have recently appeared in The New Yorker), “Loving Che” author Ana Menendez, and Oscar Casares, who writes for Texas Monthly. A few well-established veterans, such as Dagoberto Gilb, also make appearances.

“Lengua Fresca” purposely tries not to be stuffy, so pop culture is embraced, too. La Cucaracha’s Lalo Alcaraz contributes a comic; the Hip Hop Hoodios, a Latino-Jewish hip-hop group based in New York, offer lyrics.

It’s a wide spectrum, but not all of the pieces work. The mix of genres – an essay, followed by a comic, followed by a restaurant menu, for instance – can be jarring.

Readers may not like every story, but they’ll enjoy the ride.