FINDING QUERENCIA

A scholar explores issues of Latine identity in this collection of introspective essays.

Fletcher, an associate professor of creative writing at Colorado State University, has previously authored award-winning books, such as Descanso for My Father (2012). Here, he continues to offer readers poignant reflections on Latine history, identity, and culture. Nearly all of the book’s nine chapters have a rare combination of brevity and depth. These are not essays designed to be read in a single sitting but pieces to be contemplated and reread, as one may discover new subtleties after multiple read-throughs. Some essays are divided into subparts that offer relevant, stand-alone poems or mini-essays, often no longer than a paragraph. Fletcher opens the collection with a description of a valued heirloom from his family’s New Mexican past—an Easter mask from the Yaqui Nation of Southern Arizona that was used in Passion plays that blended the biblical story of Jesus’ death and resurrection with those of Native deities. The author writes that when he wore the mask, “some hidden side of me had stepped out from the trove of memory….I saw myself.” One of the book’s main subjects is “in-between” spaces, as represented by the mask’s blend of Christianity and Indigenous culture and its connection between the present and the past. The titular Querencia is a Spanish word that lacks an English equivalent and is defined by the author—in a characteristically offbeat style that defies traditional grammatical norms—as “desire of want of sanctuary of strength of safety of soul where you know who you are and where you belong.” The book’s introspective aesthetic is complemented by an ample assortment of original black-and-white collage and photomontage artwork, which, like the essays they accompany, offers an appealing combination of simplicity and depth. Overall, Fletcher’s style may be a bit esoteric for readers who prefer a more straightforward essayistic approach. Others, however, may find this a profound and resonant collection.

A powerful set of reflections on identity and family history.