Housing and Development Newsletter “Not only is it a return to the pre-Hispanic past, but it is also the richness of the various present original cultural manifestations," she said. “Those are not isolated events, but a vibrant moment in several literary genres and cultural manifestations previous to the Spanish conquest that still survive and thrive.” Lomelí noted that the book is one of the few attempts to emphasize native languages and literature from so many countries, including Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Spain and the U.S. It includes samples of works in their original language and translations. “We also dreamed of having a visually provocative book and the images are in many cases quite stunning,” Lomelí said.