Feb 27, 2018 the line becomes a river dispatches from the border by francisco cantu 250 pp. He became a us border patrol agent, and over the next four years, he policed drug routes and smuggling corridors and tracked lost migrants across the desert. If you want to learn about the border patrol s world, you will find this book informative and startling. In a memoir about his duties with the patrol, the line becomes a river. The best book on immigration you will read this year comes from a former border patrol agent francisco cantus the line becomes a river is honest, gripping, and wonderfully written.
Feb 12, 2018 writer francisco cantu, author of the new narrative nonfiction book, the line becomes a river. Dispatches from the border riverhead books, out now, grows up with one level of intimate. His memoir details his experiences as a border patrol agent and the things he learned about the u. He discusses his new book the line becomes a river, and the brutality. The author and former border patrol agent on his new memoir, the line becomes a river. The guy of the story, his mother was a ranger and he grew up loving the outdoors and near the border. He also served as a us marine during world war ii and the korean. Francisco cantu, who recounts physical, emotional toll of job in book, will be in jackson on monday, april 9. The book bears witness and details his role in governmentsanctioned acts against migrants and explores the emotional toll it takes on him. Border patrol agentturnedauthor meets protests in california. Dispatches from the border riverhead books, cantu recounts the physical and emotional toll the experience took on. Debate erupts over memoir by former border patrol agent francisco cantu he said he agrees with much of the criticism from the left even though it caught him off guard. Green apple books pictured here, on clement street. The reason he joined the border patrol, he wrote, was to understand the border and find some answers to the conundrum of immigration.
Raised in the southwest united states, francisco cantus lifelong fascination with the border led him to find a job where he would experience its danger and heartbreak firsthand. Walking the line a border patrolmans harrowing memoir. Mar 19, 2018 author francisco cantu shares what he loves most about writing, some writing advice, and the first book he fell in love with. But theres tension there in the line becomes a river, francisco cantu looks back on his time as a border patrol agent. Border patrol agent from 2008 to 2012 in arizona, new mexico and texas enforcing immigration policy he opposes. When he joined the border patrol, he became witness to the stark realities of the desert, where the obligations of his job weighed heavy against his. Im tired of reading about the border in books, he tells his mother.
A former fulbright fellow, he is the recipient of a pushcart prize, a 2017 whiting award, and a 2018 art for justice fellowship. This book is beautifully written and gives the reader more context and understanding for the issues on the us border with mexico from the viewpoint of a latino border patrol agent. Given how fraught the topic has become, its worth being crystalclear right away about what the book. Feb 02, 2018 francisco cantus the line becomes a river is a book about the u. It was a curious detour for the young college graduate. Cantu does not stay a border patrol agent for long. Activists call on bay area bookstores to cancel readings by former border patrol agent. Hari sreenivasan sits down with francisco cantu, a third generation mexicanamerican and former border patrol agent. The best book on immigration you will read this year comes from a former border patrol agent. Protesters are calling on green apple books on the park to cancel their upcoming event with former border patrol agent and author francisco cantu. Francisco cantus new book about his years in the border patrol combines brutal personal reminiscences with detached academic interludes.
Acclaimed border patrol memoir by tucson author francisco. Since i represent a relatable border patrol agent, a lot of the media about the book has been focused on that, and given more weight to humanizing me as a former border patrol agent, or border. Francisco cantus memoir of his nearly four years as a border. Haunted by the landscape of his youth, cantu joins the border patrol. After controversy over his border patrol memoir, francisco. Todd miller has entered a secret world, and he has gone deep. Riverhead books is thrilled to announce the line becomes a river, a bold and personal literary exploration of the usmexican border its politics, gatekeepers, and victims on both sides of the line from 2017 whiting award winner and former u. Francisco cantu served as an agent for the united states border patrol in the. Feb 18, 2018 the exus border patrol agent tells ursula kenny about his first book, a powerful account of the horrors suffered by mexican migrants.
Then came the onslaught of criticism from immigrants themselves. Dispatches from the border, after descending upon a reading the author did in san. Im tired of reading about the border in books, francisco cantu says. Dispatches from the border recounts his time as a u. Named a top 10 book of 2018 by npr and the washington post. Border patrol agentturned author francisco cantu speaks at. Mar 05, 2020 border patrol agentturned author francisco cantu speaks at boises egyptian theatre. Feb 08, 2018 the line becomes a river chronicles life in the border patrol francisco cantus new book about his years in the border patrol combines brutal personal reminiscences with detached academic. Francisco cantu tells the story of his time working on the border and the history of it in such a deeply personal and poetic way it makes the book more than a. Feb 15, 2018 francisco cantu never thought he would become a us border patrol agent.
The line becomes a river chronicles life in the border patrol. Debate erupts over memoir by former border patrol agent. Border patrol, telling himself he would be one of the good ones. Apr 08, 2018 former us border patrol agent francisco cantu has a story to tell. The line becomes a river hardcover by francisco cantu is a very emotional book. About the author francisco cantu was an agent for the united states border patrol from 2008 to 2012, working in the deserts of arizona, new mexico, and texas. Activists call on bay area bookstores to cancel readings by. By rachel hurn on march 05, 2018 between 2008 and 2012, francisco cantu, a thirdgeneration mexican american and native arizonian, worked as a border patrol agent in the remote sonoran desert. The truth about the border in francisco cantus the line. Francisco cantu talked about his book, the line becomes a river. Border patrol, where he and his partners learned to track other humans under blistering sun and through frigid nights. The border patrol is the mobile uniformed law enforcement arm of the department of homeland security dhs.
Francisco cantu was an agent for the united states border patrol from 2008 to 2012, working in the deserts of arizona, new mexico, and texas. William henry bill jordan 19111997 was an american lawman, united states marine and author. Francisco cantu spent four years as a border patrol agent along the arizonamexico border region and the texasmexico border region. Born in 1911 in louisiana, he served for over 30 years with the u. No platform for border patrol agent turned book author. Dispatches from the border, published by riverhead books, presents a firstperson narrative by author and former border patrol agent francisco cantu. Some critics argue that his book humanizes border patrol agents, and activists in san francisco have called for his book reading to be canceled.
Former border patrol agent francisco cantu discusses. It was officially established on may 28, 1924 by an act of. May 19, 2018 francisco cantu braced for the fury of antiimmigration figures when he wrote a border patrol memoir. If you want to understand the border patrol and what is happening in mexico this is a book that is a must read. Similar events across the us have also been disrupted and shut down. Activists call on bay area bookstores to cancel readings. This is work that endangers the soul the exus border patrol agent tells ursula kenny about his first book, a powerful account of the horrors suffered by mexican migrants. Former border patrol agent author francisco cantu coming to. My book is about acknowledging that, its about thinking through the ways we normalize violence and dehumanize migrants as individuals and as a society. Activists have interrupted francisco cantus tour for his buzzedabout new book the line becomes a river. Border patrol agent from 2008 to 2012 and is the author of the line becomes a river. Francisco cantu penguin random house speakers bureau.
Feb 06, 2018 former agent says, border patrol does good work. He took that job as a 23yearold in 2008 and left in 2012. My work is seeking to not make excuses for the border patrol but to show it from the inside. At the beginning of his debut book, the line becomes a river, francisco cantu sits down with his mother over a christmastime eggnog and brandy to explain why, after graduating from college with a. The writer francisco cantu, who spent years as a border patrol agent. The truth about the border in francisco cantus the line becomes a river share this story with your world. A former fulbright fellow, he is the recipient of a 2017 whiting award.
The line becomes a river chronicles life in the border. Francisco cantus quietly heartbreaking memoir the line becomes a river explores the reckless contours of the u. Francisco cantu tells the story of his time working on the border and the history of it in such a deeply personal and poetic way it makes the book more than a political exploration of a current issue and turns it almost into poetry. His memoir is concerned with cataloging his time as an enforcer while also confronting.
Francisco cantus memoir of his nearly four years as a border patrol. When he joined the border patrol, he became witness to the stark realities of. Francisco cantu s the line becomes a river francisco cantus the line becomes a river is a book about the u. We are writing to report back on our action at ex border. The book is his soulsearching journey to distill what drove him into and out of the border patrol. What follows is a report from antiracists in the bay area of california, who took part in a disruption of a talk promoting a new book by a former border patrol agent. An exborder patrol cop has become a media darling and. One of the most satisfyingand controversialpassages in the book is when he returns to civilian life and starts working in a coffee shop while in graduate school.
A new memoir addresses americas cruelest immigration. Border patrol agent from 20082012 in arizona, new mexico and texas enforcing immigration policy he opposes. Francisco cantu served as an agent for the united states border patrol in the deserts of arizona, new mexico, and texas from 2008 to 2012. Francisco cantu graduated college and joined the u. The best book on immigration you will read this year comes. Francisco cantu explores these questions in his deft, imaginative, and compelling memoir of his time as a border patrol agent. Riverhead to publish former us border patrol agent. Riverhead will publish the line becomes a river on february 6, 2018. I was angry, depressed, sad, but i dont think i was happy once in the book. I think the only legitimacy the border patrol has is that it already exists, and i think we need people like you and no more deaths to call for it to be abolished. The grandson of a mexican immigrant, cantu had been studying international relations in college, but became tired of. Being hispanic himself, francisco assumed he would learn more about the border and understand it better by working as an agent. This former border patrol officers memoir will break your. Im not sure the border patrol will like all that he has to say.
632 146 530 900 1 1327 1177 844 760 1363 561 1152 1014 182 1227 1167 1480 285 225 1380 192 143 401 440 831 1411 563 1072 614 681 1421 1453 920 803