Heart That Bleeds, The : Latin America Now

Rating:
Summary: Journalism at its finest
Review: In an era of media consolidation, dying newspapers and the death of international coverage, "The Heart that Bleeds" is a welcome breath of fresh air. Alma Guillermoprieto, a journalist at The New Yorker rips the cover off Latin America, introducing us to the people and institutions that dominate life in the region. Even if you're not interested in Latin American culture and politics, check out this book. It is one of the finest examples of true journalism in recent years. It revels in what is fast becoming a lost art form.

Rating:
Summary: Dispatches of honesty and knowledge
Review: One usually hears about Latin America if there has been an unforeseen coup, a currency crisis, a new Nobel laureate or an impromptu celebrity wedding. This collection is trying to change that and the author, living alternately in New York and Mexico City, is wonderfully equipped to bring light to that region that is steeped in suspicion and mystery. Her travels take her from revolutions to political candidacies, from true believers in every corner of the political spectrum to the disenchanted masses tired of the cant and the sermons from the big brother up north. She shows the mad psychology of warfare, the impossible human dignity that blooms in every sort of adversity. Her writing is powerful because it isn't ornate but informed, distinguished and very scrupulous. Miss Guillermoprieto is a throwback to the kind of reporting that has died on the vine;she is interested in particulars, researches well and doesn't seem to be the least interested in trying to score a showcase piece that has a message but no content. She just writes down what she sees and it's mesmerizing.

Rating:
Summary: Dispatches of honesty and knowledge
Review: One usually only hears about Latin America if there has been an unforeseen coup, a currency crisis, a new Nobel laureate or an impromptu celebrity wedding. This collection is trying to change that and the author, living alternately in New York and Mexico City, is wonderfully equipped to bring light to a region that is steeped in suspicion and mystery. Her travels take her from revolutions to political candidacies, from true believers in every corner of the political spectrum to the disenchanted masses tired of cant and sermons of the big brother up north. She shows the mad psychology of perpetual warfare, the impossible human dignity that blooms in every sort of adversity.
Her writing is powerful because it isn't ornate but informed, distinguished and very scrupulous. Miss Guillermoprieto is a throwback to the kind of reporting that has died on the vine; she is interested in particulars, researches well and doesn't seem to be the least interested in trying to score a showcase piece that has a message but no content. She just writes down what she sees and it's mesmerizing.