Hi All,

I hope to take my son to Mexico to see the Day of the Dead this year or the next. I would like to share with him the material that first got me excited about the Day of The Dead: Ray Bradbury's wonderful stories on the festival.

Trouble is, it's been too many years and the reading of them was too scattered, I just can't remember any of the titles.

Can someone help me with a list of titles of stories that are about or contain significant reference to the Day of the Dead?

Given titles, I can go from there and find collections that contain them, though if you have that information at your fingertips, it would be greatly appreciated, as well.

Thanks all!

And a quick fan letter to Ray Bradbury:

Mr. Bradbury,
Reading your works over the years, from your book on writing to your shortest, short story has changed my life. Your writing always affects me deeply when I read it. Much of it has fulfilled what I consider to be a major component of a piece of classic art: I keep thinking about it; it keeps guiding my thoughts and emotions.

Thank you! You have changed my life and made it better.

-Joel

Well, if you look in the Story Classifications thread, I started to classify stories by setting. That would give you at least some of the Mexican stories (before I got sidetracked--the list is "in progress"), and the titles can clue you in as to others. As to "Day of the Dead" stories...I'd have to look at all the titles myself...possibly the best is the section devoted to it in "The Halloween Tree."

The main one has to be "El Dia de Muerte", which is in Ray's book The Machineries Of Joy.

Another one (if my memory isn't playing tricks on me) is "The Candy Skull", which is in A Memory Of Murder.

Phil
www.bradburymedia.co.uk

Yes, Phil, those are the only two I thought of, though "Interval in Sunlight," "The Next in Line," and "The Life Work of Juan Diaz" would deserve honorable mention.

While you did not mention poetry, you might also check out the poem, "Death in Mexico", which appears in Ray's collection, WHEN ELEPHANTS LAST IN THE DOORYARD BLOOMED.

There's also a good section about The Day of the Dead in The Halloween Tree. In fact, I don't think I'd be the only one on this board to recommend this book as a terrific overview of the entire tradition of Halloween.

Best,

Pete

How about "The Next In Line" ?

That is the quintessential Day of the Dead story!

If you just look up "Day of the Dead" and "Ray Bradbury" on google you could probably find something.

I just followed MathNerd182's Google suggestion, and guess what was the first item listed... this very thread!

We are apparently THE authoritative source. . .