ALEJANDRO MORALES, the son of Mexican immigrants, earned his BA from California State University, Los Angeles, and an MA and PhD from Rutgers University. Morales is a professor in the Department of Chicano/Latino Studies at the University of California, Irvine. Writing in Spanish and English over a span of fifty years, he has authored more than a dozen books, including The Brick People, The Rag Doll Plagues, and Caras viejas y vino nuevo / Old Face and New Wine, which are recognized as classics in Chicano/Latino literature. His fictional stories are based on historical personages and events, bringing together his love for both history and writing.