The No-Guitar Blues

“The No-Guitar Blues” by Mexican American poet and author Gary Soto is a short story that uses one boy’s experiences during a single day to explore the themes of Following One’s Conscience, Effects of Socioeconomic Disparities, and Longing for the Unattainable. First published as part of the collection Baseball in April and Other Stories in 1990, the story follows Fausto, a young Mexican American boy living in California who struggles to earn money to buy a guitar. The story was adapted into a short film in 1991.

Soto has written both poetry and fiction for juvenile and adult audiences. He is best known for his fiction for younger readers, such as the novels Buried Onions, Taking Sides, Living Up the Street, and Baseball in April. Baseball in April won the California Library Association’s Beatty Award and was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. Its 11 short stories revolve around Mexican American characters undergoing the trials posed by youth and limited means in Fresno, California. Soto’s writing is characterized by his ability to communicate larger ideas through the “small moments” of everyday living, often illuminating the obstacles faced by Latino youth in the process.