DAY AFTER PILL

–Tu eres mi Antonio Banderas.
–Y tú eres mi Gina Lollobrigida.

Source: http://resources.roomsnet.com/2010/02/19/
check-out-the-diviest-nightlife-in-nyc/

Así comienza el cuento Day After Pill que forma parte de los cuentos en Amoricidio y que está dentro de la colección de UGDU. Escogí este cuento por cualidades que lo hicieron resaltar en mi memoria, el ritmo acelerado de la narración, la manera en que integra al lector con las imágenes que presenta y los matices que revela en las subsiguientes lecturas. De inmediato, el cuento lanza al lector en un torbellino de acciones durante una noche de música, baile, bebida, cigarrillos, besos, y palabras. El protagonista es un extranjero que lleva poco tiempo en la ciudad al igual que la mujer que el conquista. Ella es una turista italiana. Al pasar de la noche, y ya suficientemente ebrios como para estar enamorados, los dos salen de la barra/discoteca a coger un taxi y para continuar en otra parte.

"Se retiraron borrachitos muchísimo antes de la hora triste para pescar un taxi amarillo que los llevara a la guarida de ella porque Tú eres mío cuesta notte, le había susurrado ella con la boca fría en una mordida de oreja y antes de irse se dieron un beso frente al local..."

Srouce:http://blog.petaflop.de/2008/02/

Después de esperar unos minutos, terminan en la casa de ella bebiendo más vino. Al final, antes de la llegada de la hora triste, tienen relaciones sexuales. De ahí el título del cuento, porque en pleno acto se rompe el condón. Al instante se cae el velo y todo se ve como verdaderamente es, la atmósfera cambia, y los dos, serios, salen disparados para el hospital más cercano para sacar el resto del profiláctico dentro de ella. Ya ha salido la luz del día y los dos se ven como son, no con los ojos embriagados y susceptibles de la noche anterior, sino realizan que ni el ni ella son tal como la bebida y la noche los hizo creer. La enfermera les informa que están fuera de peligro y le da una pastilla del día siguiente a ella, para evitar complicaciones. En ese momento estallan llantos, sirenas de policías y bomberos. Cuando se percatan, las noticias anuncian que Nueva York esta bajo amenaza porque las torres gemelas, el World Trade Center, debido a los dos aviones que estallaron contra ellas, están en llamas y derrumbándose. Justo en ese momento el protagonista mira a la turista, le agarra la mano, y la invita a desayunar.

–Mierda.
–Questo e veramente un casino, dijo ella bastante molesta.

Uno de los factores que me atrajo al cuento, el cual ya mencioné brevemente, es el ritmo acelerado. Tan pronto empieza, las palabras parecen correr una tras otra, mientras tanto dibujando imágenes breves y marcadas. Uno tiene la sensación inmediata de la noche, la bebida, los besos oliendo a alcohol y cigarrillo, la espontaneidad, las palabras coquetas, miradas. Aparte del estilo, el final le da un toque sombrío y a la vez unificador. Los dos habiéndose confrontado, a la luz del sol, extranjeros y diferentes, frente a esta tragedia que ocurrió tan cerca se cierra la brecha que los distancio. Puede que tenga o no tenga suma importancia la substancia que contiene el cuento, me supongo que eso queda a manos de la perspectiva individual, no obstante, yo soy de la opinión que su relevancia reside en la demostración de que la vida nunca acaba de sorprendernos, de cogernos a la imprevista, y sobre todo de unirnos como  humanos.

Part Two: The Master and Margarita

I know I've been away for what it seems like a little while, but in my defense, these past two weeks have been very hectic. Though I am still just in time, for April is not yet over.

Source:
http://www.manuscriptsdontburn.org/categor/
complicites-the-master-and-margarita/page/4/

The second part of Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita opens up with Margarita, this is the first time the reader gets to know Margarita first-hand, in the previous part it is only through what the Master says of her, which is little. We meet her in her own opulent house, being married to a wealthy man, reminiscing about the Master, whom she misses sorely since he disappeared, but we the reader know he's in the mental hospital. In her melancholy she decides to go to the park. There she meets Azazello, one of the devil's entourage. Once she meets him and somewhat tells him her sad story of lost love and injustice done to him, the story proceeds to get even more bizarre, but in an ironic and entertaining way. She becomes a witch, flies to a ritual where she is crowned goddess/queen, meets the devil and the rest of his possee. Along the way, she extracts revenge from the editors and writers that did the Master wrong. Towards the end of the surreal journey, now in the devil's somber chamber, while he plays chess, she pledges her devotion and asks that he bring back the Master. After a brief hesitation he does so, to her and the Master's surprise.

The story ends slightly dubiously, the story of the procurator of Judea is revisited and loose ends are tied, also, the Master and Margarita finally get to their small home we not not where, where they are to live in eternal peace. Ivan Homeless gets the ending of the Master's story and Woland leaves Moscow leaving a trail a destruction inflicted by Behemoth and Koroviev.

Behemoth and Koroviev during the famous séance. Source:
http://my.opera.com/mustainev/blog/2012/03/09/master-and-margarita-by-mikhail-bulgakov-2

Margarita the witch flying to her coronation. Source:
http://www.cafleurebon.com/galbanum-and-other-strangers-master-
and-margarita-by-michael-bulgahov-vol-a-nuit-draw/

I have reduced the second part of the book to the barest words but truly the book is a delight. First, because for those that enjoy fantasy, they will get a good does of that. Woland's magic tricks, the séance, everything he and his entourage do takes the reader's level of belief to a further level. Add to that the eerie, grotesque, yet enchanting ball that is held in Margarita's honor, where all the dead are risen from their graves and their stories are retold as they pay homage to the queen Margarita. The characters are all so colorful and poignant. I especially loved getting to know Margarita and seeing her transform into a witch. And the Master, towards the end, when he is almost reaching his eternal abode of peace, how he is described as he says farewell to the city and life he has known is reminiscent of a messiah.

"'Forever! That's a lot for a man to grasp,' whispered the Master, licking his dry, cracked lips. He listened carefully to what was going on in his soul. For a moment, his excitement seemed to turn into a feeling of deep, mortal insult. But the sentiment was fleeting. It vanished to be replaced by proud indifference and finally settled into an expectation of eternal peace. [...] 'Well, then, 'Woland said to him from high up in the saddle, 'are all the accounts settled? Have all the goodbyes been said?' 'Yes, it is over,' the Master said, calming down,  and looked directly into Woland's face without fear. [...] It had all fallen through the earth, leaving nothing but fog."

Secondly, the book is an enlightening delight because the reader is constantly faced with the weighing of good and evil. What does it mean to be evil? And likewise, what does it mean to be good? Tying this up with Mikhail Bulgakov's time and the context within which he created this book, the nation's insecurity and mistrust as everything around them was changing, the obligation to follow the imposed norm, the disappearances, all the nuances that plagued Moscow during his time as Stalin rose to power is evident. Also, another important aspect of the book is it's questioning of faith, on the veracity of faith and belied versus of non-belief. There is an interplay within these two extremes throughout the novel that ends with more questions than answers.

I highly recommend this book, it was an exciting, intriguing and revealing read. Also, there are so many awesome pictures relating to The Master and Margarita that I couldn't help posting at least three.

Press: Great Expectations

A little while ago I made a post about how I was contacted by Xelsion Publishing to write an essay on Charles Dickens's Great Expectations. Well, I have completed the essay and here it is:

Bicentenary of Charles Dickens

I distinctly recall the first time I held Great Expectations in my hands. I stumbled upon the book by chance, in the sales bin, at a local bookstore. Recognizing the author from A Christmas Carol, I took advantage of the fortuitous chance and purchased the book. I started reading a couple days later. It began one night of restlessness, where sleep eluded me. I picked up the book and laid in bed, between the covers, and began to read the first page. In a matter of days I swallowed the book, wondering the entire time, "Where has this book been all this time, and why haven't I read it?" This was the beginning of a journey through Dickens’ world, a journey which led to falling in love with the authors’ voice, style and most markedly, his characters. I have always found that his characters seem to sit in the readers’ imagination as a dear old friend that one loves to revisit.

Singular and distinctly like Charles Dickens, Great Expectations offers a kaleidoscope of characters and of settings, with frank reality and a deft hand at writing. Portraying Victorian London and it’s surroundings, he lays bare this city for all to marvel, gape, gasp in horror, and fawn at, one feels almost as if one knows the city and is transported. Briefly, the story is about a boy who enters life with great expectations and matures into a man that sees the world for what it is, not necessarily with a pessimistic eye but with a sobering maturity. Along with the trajectory of this boy, from having little to having much more, there is also an underlying exploration of guilt, duty and what it means to be "good" and “bad” which laces the novel, ruminating behind the vivid scenes of the story. It is this exploration that engages the reader. Don't let this brief summary deter you, dear reader, from delving into Pip's story, for he is all of us. All the complex and disadvantageous traits that we as humans have, Pip has, and honestly, haven't we all had great expectations and found, later on, that life had other things to say concerning those expectations? On the ending, Charles Dickens wrote the book with two, the first ending was found to be too harsh and Dickens revised it to create a more pleasing, if not vague and somewhat hopeful, finale.

Charles Dickens
Source: http://www.charlesdickens.xelsion.com/about/

Like most of his books, this novel was first serialized, which gave an interesting dimension to the story unfolding before the eagerly awaiting reader. Now, what is special about this novel is not only the authors’ genius but that, unlike his other books, Great Expectations condenses everything for which Dickens stood. His signature preoccupations, motifs and

characters are tightly drawn, creating a story that doesn't sway, and drives its' point directly to the reader. This being said, this year happens to mark the bicentenary birth of this worthy author, and his novel, Great Expectations, is the perfect tapestry with which to begin delving into his talent.

Charles Dickens Project

Just a brief side note. I am a big Charles Dickens fan. His flare, style and colorful portrayal of humanity and of life, specifically in London, is enticing to me. Well, last year I reviewed one of my favorite Dickens book, Great Expectations, in a video. This year commemorates the 200th anniversary of his birth, 7th February 1812, hence the creation of projects celebrating this master storyteller, one in particular is the Charles Dickens Project by Xelsion Publishing. Their aim is

"to bring back the unique thrill of seeing a story take shape before your eyes, taking it one step further by combining it with the kind of revealing, honest and real-time traffic between author and reader that the instant feedback of modern social networks allows."

Well, they contacted me to write a brief article on Charles Dickens, which they will be posting shortly, and I was, of course, very much obliged and grateful. So, I'm taking this brief time and space to share this excellent project with all the readers out there that happen to stumble or follow my blog. The serialization of Great Expectations is available to download for the kindle or you can just read the chapters right from the web. Stop by the site, you might find yourself following and enjoying Great Expectaions.

Dickens and his characters.
Source: http://www.charlesdickens.xelsion.com/dickens-resources/

Links:
David Perdue's Charles Dickens
Dickens 2012
Charles Dickens Museum
A Dickensian

Graffiti de Julio Cortázar.

"Tantas cosas que empiezan y acaso acaban como un juego..."

Cada vez que leo un cuento nuevo de Julio Cortázar me confronta el talento brillante de este escritor Argentino y siempre aprendo algo relevante y nuevo. Esta semana vengo con su cuento Graffiti, es uno de sus cuentos populares, y además, soy una empedernida seguidora del movimiento de arte urbano/graffiti.

Antoni Tàpies
http://www.galleristny.com/2012/02/painter-antoni-tapies-dies-88/

Este cuento de Cortázar se trata de un artista de graffiti, durante unos tiempos turbulentos en su país, el cual no se divulga. Estos tiempo son de gran prohibición, y por consecuente, de reprimir al pueblo, de miedo y de abuso del estado contra el pueblo. Por extensión, el graffiti de cualquier forma no es permitido. Este artista, un día inesperado, se topa con otro artista, el cual el denomina como ella, deduciendo su sexo sólo por la "esencia", el trazo de sus lineas en su dibujos y los colores que utiliza. Siguiendo este encuentro, los dos comienzan una relación ficticia y a la vez real en la que los dos se siguen mediante el arte que plasman al azar por la ciudad.  Este juego que emprenden se convierte en un reto y un afán, en el cual los dos luchan por encontrarse. Pero, sucede que mientras ella le respondía a él con un dibujo los policías la atrapan. El llega tarde a la escena, sólo logrando ver como se la llevan arrestada. De ahí, el artista cae en una melancolía, a la vez sintiéndose culpable y triste por lo que le sucedió a ella. Luego de varios meses sin pintar, el sale a la calle y plasma una imagen sobre la pared de un garage. Esperando después el día entero para ver si habían borrado su graffiti, como siempre hace sin tardía, la policia. Pasado el día, al llegar la noche el se acerca discretamente a su dibujo y ve en una esquina diminuta un dibujo que no es suyo, el cual el toma como respuesta de ella.
De primera impresión este cuento es simple, pero, como suele pasar con los cuentos buenos, hay más escondido detrás de las palabras.
Éste es un grito de esperanza, una búsqueda de sosiego y un reclamo de libre expresión. El protagonista se desahoga, plasmando para la vista de todos, mediante su arte. Salir a pintar tarde en la noche, capaz de ser arrestado, y pintar sobre una pared libre de color e idea es un reto de confrontar el miedo y así domándolo. El reto lo toma el artista como forma de mantener su esperanza viva y para compartir esta esperanza con el pueblo, los cuales también sienten el mismo miedo y la misma melancolía de vivir en un país que acapara la libertad individual. Al indagar sobre la dedicación del cuento, A Antoni Tàpies, descubro que éste fue un artista durante los tiempos de Franco en España. Su arte es clasificado como doblemente modernista y post-modernista, y se interesaba por interpretar aquello que abarcaba la esfera social y publica, la libre expresión y así despertando la consciencia del espectador.  Tàpies vivió en Barcelona y murió hace unos años atrás a los 88 años. Conociendo esta información permite una mejor interpretación del cuento, dedicado a este artista español famoso e iconoclasta. Es un llamado al arte por el amor al arte como medio que debe estar modulado por la libre expresión. La próxima vez que estés vagando por la ciudad y te topes con arte urbano/graffiti, detente y mira bien, puede que te esté diciendo más de lo que percibes a simple vista.

Every time I read a new short story by Julio Cortázar I am astounded at his amazing talent that reveals imperceptible truths. This time it is his story Graffiti, it is one of his popular short stories.
It is about a graffiti artist that resides in an extremely prohibitive city, where freedom of expression is severely punished and where abuse of the police against the citizens abounds. This artist, as a way of rebelling, does graffiti, painting diverse images around the city. One day, he finds there is another artist like him that is following his trail, painting images next to his as a means of communication. This unknown artist he denominates as female by the subtle feminine nuances he perceives in the images. Following this encounter, both strive feverishly to stumble upon the other, a yearning for contact and understanding. Unfortunately, while she was responding with a graffiti to one of his, she is arrested by the police. The protagonist then falls into a melancholic stupor which he spends drinking and avoiding painting. A few months pass and he gathers the courage to go out and graffiti. He does so. That day, he spends his time discretely going back to the painting, wanting to see if it has been erased. Towards nighttime, he goes to check his painting and finds a minuscule drawing on the side of his work, which he interprets as a response from her.
Upon first impression this short story is simple but, like every good story, there is depth behind it's words.
This is a story about the freedom of expression, of art being unencumbered by state or outside influences and of the desire of unity and hope. The artist, in going out and painting, faces the fear that suppresses the masses that surround him, his art is a form of courage.

Les quatres cróniques, 1990. Fotograph: Jordi Bedmar
http://www.fundaciotapies.org/site/spip.php?rubrique865

Digging even further and investigating the dedication of the story, To Antoni Tàpies, I discovered that Tàpies is a spanish artist that lived during the time of Franco, in Spain. He died a few years ago at the age of 88. His art is considered both modernist and post-modernist, that sought to "transform the public's conscience" concerning social and public matters. It was as well, a a bastion for freedom of expression. Knowing this information allows the reader to better interpret Cortázar's "Graffiti", dedicated to this iconoclastic and famous spanish artist. It is an appeal to art for the love of art and as a medium that should be modulated by freedom of expression. The next time you, reader, find yourself confronted with a graffiti/urban art, stop and look well, it might be saying more than is easily perceptible.

Links:
Fundació Tàpies
Graffiti

El hombre que inventó Manhattan

I finally finished Ray Loriga's "El hombre que inventó Manhattan"
and let me just say that I loved every word of it. I still stand by what I said in my earlier post, on my first impressions of the book. This is a colorful and deliciously sordid tapestry of stories that combine to give life to a city that is at once famously elusive and enticing. Beyond its' relation to the City of New York, specifically the borough of Manhattan, I find that the entire book transcends its' title and this territory in that in general and concise words it paints for the reader the diversity found in human nature especially bred in a large mass of population coexisting in a tight space. We are all related and connected, man and nature. This was most evident when I found the chapter on the rat Missy, describing it's first adventure into central park, being a young rat. Which connects to the ending entitled, "De Ratones y Hombres", where this same rat is killed by the narrator, before his sons' eyes whom had just named it Missy.  Curiously enough, this immediately brought to mind lines by the scottish poet of the Romantic period in English literature Robert Burns, "The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men, Gang aft agley, An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain, For promis'd joy!" (Lines 39-42). This is from his poem "To a Mouse". There is an interesting correlation between these two different works that I find relevant and important in understanding the core of what Ray Loriga presents in this book. Besides a description of the human condition found in a city as diverse and populated as NYC it is also a testament of man at his most grotesque and real and the harsh reality of human nature.

Now, I have begun and am about 15 pages in in the philosophical book I said in my previous post I was to begin next, Théorie du Corps Amoureux: Pour une érotique solaire by Michel Onfray. So far, I love what the book proposes to discuss and analyze in the opening pages. Briefly and roughly, it proposes individual autonomy and freedom from the bounds of oppressive western cultural traditions retaking and reinstating the Greek philosophers.

Till next post...

El Hombre Que Inventó Manhattan by Ray Loriga

Taking a breather from philosophy, I purchased "El Hombre Que Inventó Manhattan" by Ray Loriga. From what I've gathered he is a novelist, scriptwriter and movie director from Spain. I was completely unfamiliar with him and his work but I purchased it anyway, I enjoy taking risks with unfamiliar writers. So far, it's been amazing. It's a collection of short stories that at first seem independent of each other but as one progresses with one after the other each piece of the puzzle begins to fall into place with the next and so on. It is obvious that they are all interconnected. Which leads me to the hypothesis that that is the writer's intentions in this collection of stories which have as the center the City of New York. He weaves the stories, full of a wide diversity of characters, all interconnected by the fact that in totality they form the tapestry that is said city. There are elements of the morbid, the sick, a bit of perversion, sex, lies, yet there is a string of the enchanting in it all. As of today, I am in the sixth story, stopped in my tracks by a pair of wonderful sentences that commence the story, which is called "Peces Voladores", that left me pensive. With that I conclude this post.

"Para Andreas, lo más parecido a la felicidad era el ritmo constante de las obligaciones ineludibles que le sujetaban al momento presente como los alfileres sujetan las mariposas enmarcadas. Sin embargo, por mucho que uno lo deteste, a veces no queda más remedio que pensar en las cosas que uno no quiere pensar, especialmente en los días de lluvia."

Finishing this book, I am going to pick up another recent purchase written by this fellow right here. Yikes!


Happy reading.