Mr. Spic Goes to Washington - Paperback

by Ilan Stavans (Author), Roberto Weil (Illustrator)

In the face of social inequalities, sometimes strength for mobilization can be found through laughter. It is this ethos that Ilan Stavans employs in this politically minded graphic novel. Weaving humor with social commentary, Stavans tells a tale of a Latino man taking Los Angeles' mayoral office by storm -- and refusing to stop there. Illustrated throughout by Roberto Weil, the story follows the life and political development of Mr. Spic -- Samuel Patricio Inocencio Cárdenas -- as he upends the political machine by owning up to and embracing his rough-and-tumble past, refusing to bend to corporate pressures, and using his influence to promote pacifism and tolerance. Progressive politics has always moved forward with the help of dedicated, singular individuals, and Mr. Spic -- light-hearted as his story may be -- hilariously exemplifies that model.

Author Biography

Ilan Stavans is the Publisher of Restless Books and the Lewis-Sebring Professor of Humanities, Latin American and Latino Culture at Amherst College. His books include On Borrowed Words, Spanglish, Dictionary Days, The Disappearance, and A Critic's Journey. He has edited The Norton Anthology of Latino Literature, the three-volume set Isaac Bashevis Singer: Collected Stories, The Poetry of Pablo Neruda, among dozens of other volumes. He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, Chile's Presidential Medal, the International Latino Book Award, and the Jewish Book Award. Stavans's work, translated into twenty languages, has been adapted to the stage and screen. A cofounder of the Great Books Summer Program at Amherst, Stanford, Chicago, Oxford, and Dublin, he is the host of the NPR podcast "In Contrast."