On the loss of Rudolfo Anaya
“For me, the inocente is constantly in contact with the marvel, the beauty, and the mystery of life. So it seems that with the passage of time I am each day more in awe of creation. The simplest experiences take on a marvelous aura that reveals a deeper reality. It is that reality I try to capture in my writings.”
Bless Me, Ultima had a profound impact on me as an undergrad. As Anaya’s curandera (healer) Ultima helped protagonist Antonio to live a life of wonder, recognizing the transcendent endlessly enmeshed in the mundane, Anaya helped me shift my perspective towards the same end. Bless Me, Ultima was one of a handful of books that I wanted to spend my life reading, and so pursued a PhD in American Literature. It’s one of four books I studied in my dissertation. That chapter wrote itself, and went quicker than any other. I was thoroughly enriched by the experience. Every time I return to this book it has blossomed a little more for me. When a student asks me for a book recommendation, Bless Me, Ultima is always at the top of my list. It is truly marvelous, as was Anaya’s outlook on life. Rest In Peace, Curandero.
And I was happy with Ultima. We walked together in the llano and along the river banks to gather herbs and roots for her medicines. She taught me the names of plants and flowers, of trees and bushes, of birds and animals; but most important, I learned from her that there was a beauty in the time of day and in the time of night, and that there was peace in the river and in the hills. She taught me to listen to the mystery of the groaning earth and to feel complete in the fulfillment of its time. My soul grew under her careful guidance.
Rudolfo Anaya, Bless Me, Ultima