In the last border patrol of his life (six months into mast cell cancer), Zeno performed with flying colors and fulfilled his duty, less than two months before his death. We have patrolled much of the southern border a number of times, especially along the New Mexican and Texan lines. […]
On the Plain of Snakes: A Mexican Journey by Paul Theroux My rating: 3 of 5 stars Paul Theroux is the grand man of living American travel writers and this, his latest tome, is a revelation – perhaps not in the way he intended. After decades of venturing far afield […]
The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is the best border tale I’ve read, a masterpiece masterfully told, the language and dialogue as taut and radiant as the afternoon desert sun. (Some spoilers below.) Our two teen heroes, living in the frontier of New Mexico’s […]
The Good Lord Bird by James McBride My rating: 1 of 5 stars The Good Lord Bird is an example of an overhyped (National Book Award winner), deeply flawed contemporary title, which the PC-mavens must adore for it potential virtue-signaling, as I can’t think of another reason. This wreckage of […]
La Frontera: The United States Border with Mexico by Alan Weisman My rating: 2 of 5 stars This sprawling journey along the Mexican border is a classic in borderlands literature: it sings the songs of unsung lives while also crossing into identification with our southern neighbors. Identification can help understanding, […]
