#376 Mr. Mendoza’s Paintbrush- Luis Alberto Urrea
“Mr. Mendoza had taken the controversial position that he
was the Graffiti King of All Mexico. But we didn’t want a Graffiti King.”
The town of Rosario was an old town, Its history ran deep
and was everywhere to see. Sometimes if you forgot, it would literally pop out
of walls or fall from the sky. But you can’t have the past without the present,
and the present is where Mr. Mendoza lived.
I think some of this story went over my head. Its
beautifully written, especially the writing of childhood, which can be tricky.
I enjoyed it as I’ve enjoyed all of this collection thus far, however with
this one I’m left feeling like I missed something. I feel like the symbolism is
just out of my grasp; like I just woke up from a dream and the harder I try to
remember it, the quicker I lose it.
Notable Passage: “I dreamed of the distant bend in the river
where I could fine all these floating things collected in neat stacks, and
perhaps a galleon full of rubies, and perhaps a damp yet lovely fifteen-year
old girl in a red dress to rescue, and all of it speckled with little gray
flecks of turtle skin. Sadly for
me I found out that the river only lead to swamps that’s oozed out to sea”
