Tales Of Brave El Numbnuts

A Review by Christian Garduno
Of Tortured Barrio Songs.......................................

Reyes Cardenas has a writing style that gets under your skin immediately. His Zen-like-kaons unfold as we meet El Numbnuts (aka Andres Sobaco), our sort-of sometimes near-hero. This character reminds me of Lennon's "Nowhere Man", one to whom things happen to, never one to actually do anything himself. It is one of the few times in recent memory where our story's character and the author's form stitch together seamlessly. Allow me to recite a piece entitled STARDUST, in full, from page 48:

Andres el Numbnuts was not made from stardust
no cabrones he was made from
the pure emptiness of space
his eyes were made from anti-space
his heart was made from
the hardened droppings of empty space
that's why when you run into him
at the bakery or at the gas station
you stare at him and say
what the hell is wrong with that vato
what the hell is wrong with that dude
but you can't put your finger on it
because you pendejo you were
made of stardust
common everyday lousy stardust

As with all Nowhere Men, you have the foggy notion that he's gonna teach you a lesson you're likely not eager to learn, but learn it you must. After all, isn't he a bit like you and me? Naturally. You'd be playing it too safe to completely ignore El Numbnuts, especially when his story is told in delicious bite-size pieces that often not only stand alone, but also gain reverence and inertia when read as a larger, intentional narrative. The entirety of Book One is peppered with enlightened sarcasm, satire, and true wit. Cardenas has sculpted this singular figure and gifted him with incredible charisma. When Cardenas closes his tales of brave El Numbnuts, we can't tell if he's walking away from us or coming towards us-- we're not sure which one we prefer. He's that kind of character who hits you from another angle. An excerpt from page 97:

he didn't realize anything really
he sat on the porch
as a city bus defecated on the street
the wind blew in square pieces
and round pieces
and the hot sky cracked open
Sobaco's sweaty shorts
stuck to his nalgas
like a pretty girl
sticks to a cute boy
at the carnival

You can actually start seeing the world through El Numbnut's eyes and in a weird way, it kind of makes sense. I'm thinking that I'm okay with that. Cardenas' writing is punchy and this Reviewer would be hard-pressed to find a wasted line in Book One. There's no impending, looming over-arching story-line to get turned around in- just these quick, translucent pop shots. Cardenas pivots on the turn of a phrase, doesn't bother with over-referencing, and is not in the business of spoon-feeding his readers, which is a tremendous gift. We can pace ourselves through his story- either bit by bit or a binge-read in one rainy night- either way, Cardenas has too much soul be to ever be clever, you feel him writing in his natural light. 



There are two additional stories with this book, but I'll leave those up to you. This is a collection that doesn't gather any dust on your shelf- when you've finished reading it, you give it to a dear friend and can't wait to hear what they think. Those are the good ones, the ones you're proud to give away. Beginning from Page 1, Tortured Barrio Songs picks you up.

*REVIEWER'S NOTE::

I'd like very much to thank Edward Vidaurre for my complimentary copy and the inspiration to write this review. FlowerSong Press is most definitely on the rise.


Christian Garduno
Avril 2020
South Texas, USA

Christian Garduno studied History at the University of California, Berkeley, where he edited a poetry collection (Evolver) and a solo work (Face). His work can be read in over 30 literary magazines, including Riza Press, where his poem, "The Return", was a Finalist in their 2019 Multimedia Poetry and Art Contest. Christian Garduno's current work is a chapbook entitled "Love Above the Armstrong Limit".