One of the most prolific of New Mexican poets, Leo Romero is best known for his fanciful portrayal of village characters in northern New Mexico, characters which critics have linked to the contemporary Latin-American currents of "magical realism." Central in his cast of characters is Celso, a classic picaro with roots that stretch from the mountains of New Mexico into the picaresque tradition of sixteenth-century Spain. Chicano critic Juan Bruce-Novoa has observed that "Romero's writing expands beyond the normal limits of poetry, invading both the realm of narrative fiction and drama. His poems are miniature stories garnered from the oral tradition; when read, especially if aloud, they may well evoke the mood of dramatic performance." A dramatic adaptation of the Celso poems by Jorge Huerta, well-known Chicano dramatist and critic, and Rubén Sierra, director of the Group Theatre Company in Seattle, has launched the regionally known...