Literature and Oral Tradition from Guatemala
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Novels
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MR. PUTTISON'S ADVENTURES AMONG THE MAYA (English)
LAS AVENTURAS DE MISTER PUTTISON ENTRE LOS MAYAS (Spanish)A historical and satirical novel whose principal character is an American adventurer who suddenly turns up in a Maya community in the highlands of western Guatemala. Apart from the impact that he causes in the community by his strange customs and his very presence, the stranger also learns the customs and the traditions that maintain the unity of the community of Yulwitz. Lighthearted in tone, this novel nonetheless reflects some of the most serious concerns of Mayas in recent decades, and gives us a unique insight into their culture. Translation by Susan Giersbach Rascón and Fernando Peñalosa.
182 pp. 2002 $12.00 (specify which language edition)
ISBN 1-886502-38-2
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El 13 B'aktun: La nueva era 20012 (El fin del ciclo desde la óptica maya contemporánea)
Cast in the form of an extended dialogue, this new work by the distinguished Q'anjob'al novelist, poet, and scholar explains the Mayan B'aktun calendar cycle that will conclude its round in the Gregorian calendar year 2012. Ranging across topics in Mayan cosmovision and cultural values, the work begins with a recapitulation of Mayan creation accounts. It touches on comparative prophecy and ceremonial observance, all the while disputing the erroneous interpretations given to Mayan calendric cycles by non-Mayas for their own purposes (e.g., recent film versions!). This is an essential work for all those seeking a Mayan perspective on this popular topic. In Spanish. (An English edition is expected in 2008.)
Published privately, 2006; $13.00
ISBN 99922-2-331-6A MAYAN LIFE
The first English translation of a novel by a Maya writer. Originally written in Q'anjob'al and in Spanish. Translated by Elaine Elliott.
$13.00
LA OTRA CARA (3rd edition, 2nd edition)
SB'EYB'AL JUN NAQ MAYA' Q'ANJOB'AL / LA OTRA CARA
(bilingual Edition)Spanish and bilingual Q'anjob'al-Spanish editions of the acclaimed novel by a Q'anjob'al Maya writer and scholar. The first Mayan novel to appear in a Mayan language, it tells the life story of a Q'anjob'al man growing up in troubling times. Rich in psychological and ethnographic detail.
bilingual edition - $15.00
Spanish edition - $13.00RETURN OF THE MAYA (English)
RETORNOS DE LOS MAYAS (Spanish)This is the second novel by Gaspar Pedre González, the distinguished Q'anjob'al Maya novelist and poet. This is the story of the return of a Maya refugee to Guatemala as he reminisces on the painful journey to exile in Mexico, and the tragic circumstances that led to this sad exodus. The protagonist, Meb'ixh ('the orphan'), reflects on his experiences as he analyzes them and raises important questions for the future of Guatemala. Translated by Susan Giersbach Rascón with assistance from Fernando Penalosa and Janet Sawyer.
173 pp. 2000 ISBN 1-886502-25-0 (English Edition)
167 pp. 2000 ISBN 1-886502-31-5 (Spanish Edition)
$13.00 (specify which language edition)
Stories and Tales
These story collections in bilingual editions provide leisure reading as well as insight into traditional Mayan culture. Representing three different Mayan language areas, these small books are suitable as textbooks for English or Spanish courses or as cultural references for those working with Mayan communities in the United States or with Guatemalan adoptive children.
TALES AND LEGENDS OF THE Q'ANJOB'AL MAYA (in English translation) $10.00
CUENTOS MIGUELEÑOS / LK'TI' YU NAJ PEL MEKEL ANA (bilingual Akateko-Spanish) $10.00
NAWALIN TAQ TZIIJ / TRADICIÓN ORAL TZ'TUJIIL (bilingual Tz'utujil-Spanish; Cholsamaj) $10.00
CUENTOS de SAN PEDRO SOLOMA / LK'TI' YET TZ'ULIMA' (bilingual Q'anjob'al-Spanish) $10.00
LA PUERTA DEL CIELO Y OTRAS PUERTAS
During his lifetime, the activist and poet Luis de Lión published two short story collections, now long out of print. This tiny book makes newly available some of his most haunting stories. In Spanish.
THE TOWN OF THE SILENT PEOPLE, AND OTHER STORIES
The short stories of this well-known Guatemalan historian and writer, who also wrote under the pen name Isabel Garma, are based on painful passages from Guatemalan history. Her characters struggle to preserve their memories much as their creator fought to preserve their place in history and to help her country regain its memory. Her work has been widely anthologized and translated into several languages, but this is its first appearance in English. The collection primarily includes translations from her books Cuentos de muerte y resurrección (Stories of Death and Resurrection) and El hoyito del perraje (The Hole in the Blanket). Her stories bear witness to the suffering and the courage of those whose identity is defined by their commitment to a cause, of those who refuse to forget. The stories remind us of just how interconnected we all are.
Translated by Susan G. Rascón.100 pp. 2001 $10.00
ISBN 1-886502-37-4EL PÁJARO QUE LIMPIA EL MUNDO (bilingual)
$12.00
Poetry
THE DRY SEASON; Q'ANJOB'AL MAYA POEMS
A collection of poems in Q'anjob'al and English by the author of La otra cara and other works published by the Yax Te' Foundation, including Sq'anej maya, the original edition in Spanish and Q'anjob'al. Printed on facing pages, the poems cover a wide variety of themes: nature, love, religious and cosmological topics, fantasy, nostalgia, Maya self-affirmation, philosophy and others. Translation by R. McKenna Brown. Published by Cleveland State University Poetry Center.
93 pp. 2001 $14.00
ISBN 1-880834-53-7SQ'ANEJ MAYA' / PALABRAS MAYAS (bilingual Q'anjob'al and Spanish)
$10.00
Humberto Ak'abal is one of Guatemala's most noted poets. A K'iche' Maya from Momostenango, Ak'abal's poems are deceptively brief. Accessible to younger readers for their imaginative naturalism, they are rewarding to everyone for their profound cultural grounding and universal themes. While his work is generally published in bilingual K'iche' and Spanish editions, we are also able to offer a collection in English translation.
GRITO
Cholsamaj, 2004 $5.00
CH'ANALIK
Guatemala:Cholsamaj, 2004 $5.00
AQAJTZIJ; PALABRA MIEL
147 pp. 3 1/2 x 5" Cholsamaj 2001 $5.00
ISBN 99922-56-46-XPOEMS I BROUGHT DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN
$13.00
Q'ANIL: EL HOMBRE RAYO: Una Leyenda de Jacaltenango / KOMAM Q'ANIL: YA' K'UH WINAJ (bilingual Popti'-Spanish)
The Jakatek (Popti') epic as rendered by the well-known writer and activist. Includes an extensive introduction and detailed cultural and linguistic notes.
$10.00RAÍCES DE ESPERANZA / TZETET B'AY XHKAWXI KO K'UL (bilingual Popti'-Spanish)
RUB'IS JUN MAYAB' / TRISTEZA DE UN MAYA (PLFM; bilingual Kaqchikel-Spanish)
byP RPAQNAAL J'ON RI'IIL / EN DOLORES, EL AMOR (PLFM; bilingual Tz'utujiil-Spanish)
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Literary Analysis
LOS TIPOS DEL CUENTO FOLKLÓRICO: UNA CLASIFICACIÓN
The well-known classification of the world's folktales, the standard system
used by thousands of folklorists ever since the first edition in German
in 1910 (and in the translator's The Mayan Folktale - see below), now
in Spanish. The plot of each tale type is summarized, and often analyzed
in great detail, usually with cross-references to Thompson's Motif-Index
of Folk Literature. Translation by Fernando Peñalosa. Published
by Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia (Finnish Academy of Sciences).
359 pp. 1995
hard cover $25.00
soft cover $15.00
ISBN 951-41-0773-X
THE MAYAN FOLKTALE: AN INTRODUCTION / EL CUENTO POPULAR MAYA: UNA INTRODUCCIÓN
Based on the Aarne-Thompson folktale classification system, this typology
expands on the original to include tale types and subtypes specific to
the Mesoamerican tradition. Indexes published versions of Mayan tales
in existence at date of preparation. Absolutely indispensable resource
for students and scholars of Mayan oral tradition. Available in both English
and Spanish editions.
$10.00
POPOL VUH (Tedlock's revised exition, 1996)
LITERATURA INDÍGENA DE AMÉRICA: SEGUNDO CONGRESO
Papers read at the Second Congress of Indigenous Literature of the Americas in Guatemala City in July, 2000. Contents address all aspects of the topic, with many literary examples. Most papers are by indigenous writers and scholars, especially Mayas. In Spanish.
293 pp. Asociación Cultural B'eyb'al 2001 $13.00
Novels and Stories by non-Maya Writers (inventory reduction)
EL ÚLTIMO KATÚN
$5.00
LOS DÍAS DE LA SELVA
$10.00
ENTRE LA PIERDRA Y LA CRUZ
$15.00
EN LA MIRILLA DEL JAGUAR
$15.00
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