Mexico City: The End is Near
Years ago, my fiancé from Mexico accompanied me on a road trip to explore my remote origins in the heartland of the United States. As we drove along the interstate,…
Latin American Suite
COLUMN/COLUMNA
Presidential Fiction
Would citizens in the United States consider casting a vote for the author of their favorite novel during next year’s presidential election? Because their neighbors in Latin America have a…
Constellations of Reading
Something mortifying has reared its ugly head on our social networks: spring cleaning. Friends of mine have actually taken to boasting about their perfectly groomed bookshelves online. “It’s only been…
An Author’s Rights.
"You are the books you have read, the paintings you have seen, the music heard and then forgotten, the streets explored. You are your childhood, your family, selected friends, a…
A Yanqui in Havana
When I learned the US was relaxing travel restrictions to Cuba, I couldn’t help but recall one of many jokes that were making the rounds on the island when I…
Un Rimbaud, un Wittgenstein, un Duchamp: Ulises Carrión
¿Cuál es la relevancia de Ulises Carrión para la poesía mexicana contemporánea? Diría primero que tenemos que indagar sobre quién fue el “desconocido más famoso de México”, como lo llama…
Pitol Is and Is Not Mexican: About El mago de Viena
Up until recently Sergio Pitol (Puebla, 1933) was one of the best-kept secrets in Mexican literature. However, the recent announcement that he has been awarded the Premio Cervantes—perhaps the most…
