A Taco Testimony: Meditations on Family, Food and Culture
Denise Chávezhas her roots in New Mexico, Texas, and México and learned to love tacos in all of these places. An award-winning fiction writer, playwright, actress, and teacher, Chávez considers herself a "performance writer." In 1995 her first novel,Face of an Angel, won the American Book Award as well as many other honors. Her works include the novelLoving Pedro Infante, nonfiction, fiction for children, and more than 45 plays. Her writing and her many community projects have been supported by the Fulbright Commission, the Lannan Foundation, and a Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Award. Chávez founded the Cultural Center of Mesilla and the Border Book Festival, of which she is executive director. She lives with her husband in Las Cruces, New Mexico.