Book excerpt: In Confessions of a Berlitz-Tape Chicana, celebrated author Demetria Martinez gives voice to her own "tongue-tied generation" by sharing her deeply personal views of the world. In a series of essays, Martinez brings her trademark blend of humor and irony to bear on a variety of topics. Demonstrating her passion for searching out the truth rather than passively accepting the official story, Martinez explores issues of religion and culture, including the nature of Catholicism, life in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands, and the Spanish language. On a more personal level, she also describes her political and social activism, the creative act of writing poetry, and her own journey with bipolar disorder.