All 52 essays by popular novelist Anaya (emeritus English, U. of New Mexico) are collected here, including four never published before. Most of them explore aspects of the American Southwest from the perspectives of landscape and sense of place, culture and art, and literature. Other sections cover living Chicano, censorship, and modern ethnic literature and culture. Among specific topics are the education of Hispanic children, the courage of expression, a New Mexico Christmas, the magic of words, the writer as inocente, return to the mountains, an American Chicano in King Arthur's court, and the light-green perspective. There is no index. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)