Series

TINO VILLANUEVA is the author of six books of poetry, among them “Shaking Off the Dark” (1984); “Crónica de mis años peores” (1987) / “Chronicle of My Worst Years” (1994); “Scene from the Movie GIANT” (1993), which won a 1994 American Book Award; and “Primera causa / First Cause” (1999), a chapbook on memory and …

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Tino Villanueva’s poem, “Scene from the Movie, GIANT,” is based on a single movie scene, occupied, for the most part by a fist fight between the protagonist, Jordan “Bick” Benedict, a wealthy West Texas cattle rancher, and “Sarge,” a tough café owner.  Actually, the poem is about the speaker’s episodic memory of the scene from …

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V That Autumn The movie came to a close and went, and, in time, it was forgotten, placed upon the background of the past—: and I returned to play and laughter, to class and lessons hardly learned. Each time I spoke I lost a thought, or else said nothing to friends who might have seen …

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IV     The Trailing Consequence: A Triptych                                                                       I Journey Home   The picture show, three-and-a-half hours of it, Was over; the credits, so many ascended into immortality. The fiery art of film had sent my head buzzing—: I rose in penumbra, vexed at the unwinding course of truth and was now lost …

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III     Fight Scene Beginning   Bick Benedict, that is, Rock Hudson in the Time-clock of the movie, stands up and moves, Deliberate, toward encounter. He has come out Of the anxious blur of the backdrop, like   Coming out of the unreal into the world of What’s true, down to earth and distinct; …

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II The Existence of Sarge The old man places his hat on the table and All three have sat down, the same as if their Ancestors had been there first. (Jump cut To Sarge): who is all at once by the booth in Time to hear the man stricken in years: “Señor, buenas dias.” On …

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Editor’s recommendation and credits: Tino Villanueva has graciously permitted us to publish his poem Scene from the Movie GIANT (1993).  We are certainly humbled. A few recommendations to the reader are in order.  First, Dr. Villanueva suggests that the reader watch the movie (or watch it anew) and pay particular focus to the fight  scene.  …

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