With His Pistol in His Hand: A Border Ballad and Its Hero

by Américo Paredes

Book Overview

Gregorio Cortez Lira, a ranchhand of Mexican parentage, was virtually unknown until one summer day in 1901 when he and a Texas sheriff, pistols in hand, blazed away at each other after a misunderstanding. The sheriff was killed and Gregorio fled immediately, realizing that in practice there was one law for Anglo-Texans, another for Texas-Mexicans. The chase, capture, and imprisonment of Cortez are high drama that cannot easily be forgotten. Even...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0292701284
• ISBN13: 9780292701281
• Release Date: January 1958
• Publisher: University of Texas Press
• Length: 276 Pages
• Weight: 0.94 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.8" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Cortez

A fascinating book that examines a border ballad about Gregorio Cortez in terms of the history and culture of the Texas-Mexico border region. The story is not well-know outside of Texas, although it was made into a film in 1988 starring Edward James Olmos. The book was very influential in promoting a greater depth in folklore studies and recognizing that ballads are a performance art and that aspects of the performance add meaning beyond the words.

Terrific Study of Border Folklore

One of the most important studies of Mex-Tex folklore, this book is excellent. Paredes describes the legends of Gregorio Cortes and then tracks down what can be historically verified about this border hero. He then provides numerous variants of the ballads sung about Cortes and completes his writing by looking at reasons why the ballad remains an important part of borderland culture. Paredes writes beautifully, and the book is a model for fine ethnographic writing. Tish Hinojosa's song "Con Su Pluma en Su Mano" is a tribute to Paredes, one of her professors.

Excellent Folklore Research

This book is a fine study of Mexican-American folklore. Paredes takes a "literary ethnographic" approach to studying the ballad singer Gregorio Cortez. Paredes develops interesting and rich ways of applying literary analysis to the ballads. He also uses the study of history along with ethnographic inquiry to challenge the image of the Texas ranger as a knight in shining armor. For anyone interested in social history, ethnographic study, and literary approaches to studying culture, I would highly recommend seeing how this fine folklorist integrates all three approaches in a fascinating story. What is especially interesting is that he was taking this approach three decades ago.

With his pistol in his hand

This outstanding book gives a wonderful look at the rich culture that developed in the geographic region between Mexico and the United States. The people that lived on either side of the border were a mix of religious ideals, values and cultures joined by need,location and lack of powerful policitical presence from either nation. This book outlines the similiarities and the differences among the people of this region and explains the rich forklore and presence of this unique culture ...not quite Texan and not quite Mexican. One remarkable feature of the book is an explanation of the development of the Border Ballad called the "Corrido" as a means of transmitting news, building interest, spotlighting injustices and creating legends. It presents a detailed study of the various version of the focal "Corrido de Gregorio Cortez" as an example. The legend, the facts and the politics are given equal emphasis allowing the reader an overview of a different age. The facts are well documented but much like the "corrido" itself is very entertaining and well researched by this talented author. It presents much needed background for Mexican-Americans whose cultures were seeded in that land that straddled the politics and sentiments of two nations. This book should be required reading in every high school in states along the US Mexico border!