Sanderson holds a master of fine arts degree in fiction writing and is an independent writer. In this essay, Sanderson examines Tomás Rivera's use of various storytelling techniques in his short story and how these techniques help construct a ritual of community survival.

Tomás Rivera is best known for his poetry and one published novel,...y no se lo tragó la tierra /...And the Earth Did Not Part. Critics have praised Rivera's poems and novel for their inclusion of ritual and remembrance as major features while describing the Mexican migrant farm worker culture of the 1940s and 1950s. In addition, critics note that Rivera successfully explores in these works the relationship between the generations. Though "The Harvest" may not have received as much attention as these other writings, this brief story displays similar techniques. Rivera's use of these three narrative features&mdash...