CNN - Review: Bordertown - July 6, 1998

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Breathe the dusty air and feel the sticky heat of 'Bordertown'

Bordertown
by Barry Gifford and David Perry

Chronicle Books, $29.95

Review by Stephanie Bowen

Web posted on: Monday, July 06, 1998 3:54:27 PM EDT

(CNN) -- "Bordertown" is a powerful work of art that penetrates the soul and educates the mind, leaving the reader completely satisfied -- yet wanting more.

This poignant coffee table book can be taken from cover to cover or one page at a time. I recommend reading it from start to finish then going back occasionally to revisit the people and their stories that numb you the first time around.

"Bordertown" starts off with a brief synopsis of the history that created those places that we call border towns. Then - Wham! Gifford and Perry hit you with the agonizing stories of people living in these ramshackle communities.

Omar Vargas disappeared when he was 3 years old and has yet to be found. It's likely he was sold to a rich American couple who couldn't have kids of their own.

Jacqueline is a cuatro girl in Nuevo Laredo. She offers Perry a free hand job hoping to lure him into more -- something he'd pay for. He convinces her to let him photograph her (fully clothed) instead. She is beautiful, but not in the way she thinks.

Lola lives in Jalisco, and as most other young women in Jalisco, she believes the most important thing she can do for her future is find a man -- a man that will be able to buy her things and keep her safe. She tells us of a trip to Tecalitlan, which is about 40 miles away from Guadalajara:

"My boyfriend for the week lived across the street. Paco, a young man who comes from a long line of drug traffickers and politicians, pretty much the same thing. The fiestas were a lot of fun. It is quite convenience to walk up the street, get drunk and dance all night, then walk home. The castillos, elaborate frameworks to set off fireworks, are set off right in front of a dried-up cornfield adjacent to the church, which is pretty crazy because there is no fire department in the town. It's pretty dangerous and people frequently catch on fire. One macho got hit and his shirt got scorched so all the people laughed and cheered."

These are only a few of the many faces we see in "Bordertown". Each life is captured with stunning photographs, on-the-money illustrations and creative use of newspaper clippings, advertisements and murals.

The reader breathes the dusty air and smells the sticky heat as the overtures of crime, religion, hunger and poverty persist. All combined with historical and political information that create a complete understanding of border life.

One criticism that could be cast on Bordertown is the lack of positive images. Perhaps the creators were overwhelmed with the tangible and intangible deterioration they found, but I find it hard to believe there wasn't one bright light to be found.

Stephanie Bowen has worked for CNN for over seven years in Washington, D.C., Atlanta and Los Angeles. She is currently exploring the world of creative writing at UCLA and participates in a monthly book group.