Description
Book SynopsisVenezuelan poet Juan Calzadilla (b. 1931) is considered one of the most influential poets of the Spanish language. But while his books have appeared in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, and Spain, his work has not been widely available in English until now.
Trade Review“Calzadilla addressed his poems to a specific audience during a momentous time; and yet his poems feel as though they were written last week precisely for us. Unvarnished, unimproved, shamanistic, his poems exude a raw, tumultuous energy that legendary translator Katherine Hedeen and her savvy co-translator Olivia Lott catch every drop of. But be careful, reader. Don’t start this book at night; you not only won’t sleep a wink, but you may find yourself far from home—as far as the Caracas of your imagination—rushing through ill-lit streets in a frenzy.”—Forrest Gander
Table of Contents
- Foreword by VÍctor RodrÍguez NÚÑez
- Introduction by Katherine M. Hedeen and Olivia Lott
- Dictado por la jaurÍa / Dictated by the Pack (1962)
- DICTADO POR LA JAURÍA / DICTATED BY THE PACK
- vivo a diario / i live day by day
- funcionario que celebra un ritual / a civil servant celebrates a ritual
- escorpiÓn / scorpion
- vecindad del buitre / vulture neighborhood
- esperando salvaciÓn / waiting for salvation
- gracias al barniz / thanks to the varnish
- mingitorio / urinal
- una sala de juego / a cardroom
- me reconozco / i see me
- los mÉtodos necesarios / the necessary methods
- he sido otro / i have been another
- golpeando el abismo / hitting the abyss
- CON MALOS MODALES / WITH BAD MANNERS
- con malos modales / with bad manners
- cuarzo / quartz
- el magma debe retornar / the magma must return
- en memoria del Ángel / in memory of the angel
- los horizontes son nuestros brazos / the horizons are our arms
- EL INVISIBLE SALE DE LA CASA / THE INVISIBLE MAN LEAVES THE HOUSE
- “una vez que se toma el sombrero. . .” / “once a hat’s been picked up. . .”
- DESCENDIENTE DE AHAB / DESCENDENT OF AHAB
- “para un pÚblico enfermo. . .” / “for a sick public. . .”
- fin del acto / end of the act
- el doble hace su entrada / the double enters the scene
- mi vocaciÓn de actor / my vocation as an actor
- la venganza / revenge
- poste / post
- escalÓn / step
- cadena sola / single chain
- cuento / story
- un hilo sobre el abismo / a thread above the abyss
- sÓlo comer es una empresa / only eating is a business
- me levanto / i get up
- jonÁs siempre / always jonah
- Malos modales / Bad Manners (1965)
- “Ciudadano libre a un palmo por encima. . .” / “Free citizen just an inch above. . .”
- CONTANDO HASTA CERO / COUNTING TO ZERO
- Contando hasta cero / Counting to Zero
- “Mis decisiones se encuentran demasiado cerca. . .” / “My decisions are too close. . .”
- “Despierto Sigo vivo por ese solo instante. . .” / “Awake I am still alive for that one moment. . .”
- “Todas mis preocupaciones son el hilo de donde cuelgo. . .” / “All my worries are the thread I hang from. . .”
- Las armas invisibles / The Invisible Arms
- Hago un alto / I Take a Break
- S u b s i s t o / I S u b s i s t
- Requisitoria de los trajes vacÍos / Interrogation of the Empty Suits
- RELEVO DE GUARDIA / CHANGING OF THE GUARD
- Relevo de guardia / Changing of the Guard
- Paisajes subterrÁneos / Subterranean Landscapes
- Bajo nuevo aviso / Under New Notice
- Ciudad sola / Lonely City
- Una coincidencia / A coincidence
- “Los espectÁculos banales. . .” / “Banal spectacles. . .”
- CACERÍA / HUNT
- “Me llevan como una bestia domÉstica. . .” / “Like a tamed beast. . .”
- El prisionero de su conciencia / The Prisoner of His Conscience
- Órbitas separadas / Separate Orbits
- “Si he avanzado hacia adelante. . .” / “If I have made any progress. . .”
- Debo decir / I Should Say
- De transformaciones / On Transformations
- “Demandas clemencia. . .” / “You demand clemency. . .”
- Las contradicciones sobrenaturales / The Supernatural Contradictions (1967)
- RELEVO DE GUARDIA / CHANGING OF THE GUARD
- Decisiones / Decisions
- Corona de reyes / Crown of Kings
- Ases / Aces
- LegÍtima defensa / Legitimate Defense
- Tomas el pavimiento por la forma exacta de tu piel / You Take Pavement as the Precise Shape of Your Skin
- Las apuestas / The Wagers
- Arco de silex / Arc of Silex
- SISTEMA DE CONDUCTA / BEHAVIOR SYSTEM
- Por partida doble / Double Entry
- Jaula para occisos / Cage for the Slain
- Bestia I Bestia II Bestia III / Beast I Beast II Beast III
- “Suelo tomar extraÑas determinaciones. . .” / “I tend to make strange determinations. . .”
- Otra direcciÓn / A Different Direction
- Órdenes / Orders
- Imagen humeante / Smoking Image
- CARNET DE ENUMERACIONES / ENUMERATIONS CARD
- MÁscara de papel / Paper Mask
- Cubrir la duda con un mantel de fiesta / To Cover Doubt with a Fancy Tablecloth
- Cuidado frÁgil / Warning Fragile
- “La mirada quiere claraboyas. . .” / “The glance wants skylights. . .”
- Fuerza bruta / Brute Force
- “Salud. . .” / “To your health. . .”
- “La contrariedad nacida. . .” / “The opposition born. . .”
- ABISMO PÚBLICO / PUBLIC ABYSS
- HÁbitos / Habit
- Dentro de la roca vacÍa / Inside the Empty Rock
- De los reos / On Prisoners
- Setencia / Sentence
- Mandamiento / Commandment
- C14 / C14
- UN OJO DE CONTRAPESO / AN EYE AS COUNTERWEIGHT
- Piedra sobre piedra / Stone upon Stone
- “Sumiso” / “Submissive”
- “De una caja de asfÓdelos empujada contra la corriente. . .” / “From a box of asphodels pushed against the current. . .”
- “Pon atenciÓn Date cuenta ConcÉntrate. . .” / “Pay attention Realize Focus. . .”
- La quinta parte del espÍritu es el deseo de huir / The Fifth Part of the Spirit Is the Desire to Flee
- “Entre jaulas de occisos. . .” / “Among cages of the slain. . .”
- Appendix: An Interview with Juan Calzadilla by VÍctor RodrÍguez NÚÑez, translated by Katherine M. Hedeen and Olivia Lott
- Acknowledgments
