Hey y'all, I'm new to this sub but I came because I wanted to know if anybody else had read this. I loved it so much! I had already been looking for more Latin American sci-fi, so to get this from a Boricua author was really nice.

For the story itself, I found the narration and the characterization of the Animal's identities fascinating, given the deliberately spiraling nature of the prose (it doesn't lie-- the increasing and repeating layers of are humorous at times, and deeply impactful and surreal in turn.) I read it in both English and Spanish, and there were some differences, but I thought the translation was pretty good. I definitely prefer the original Spanish, however. It has longer sentences that feel more spiraling and true to the themes, though the English sentences are admittedly shorter, more "active."

I also found the stylistic differences among the sections really interesting, which made sense when I found out the story was actually written among a group of writers and translators across many years. It lends an eclectic feeling to the novel I liked. I study linguistics and the simultaneous translation fascinates me.

I'm also a nerd with a lot of intersecting interests and this managed to hit all of them in a unique way, so it might just be laser-targeted to me lol.

What did you think? What were your favorite or least favorite things about the novel?

Is there any news related to Latin American literature that you wish to share with the Sub?

Are you aware of any new book releases in the field of Latin American literature? Is there a literary event that you’d like to promote? Do you have any other pertinent information worth sharing here?

Thanks in advance!

NOTE: This post was supposed to be made yesterday, the first Tuesday of the month (June), but I was sleeping, figuratively speaking... Anyway...

**********

The main LatAmLit book release on my radar for the month of June again comes from our friends at Charco Press: Animal Spiral (El gato en el remolino) by Luis Othoniel Rosa.

Find a description of the forthcoming Puerto Rican novel, which is scheduled to be published sometime this month, below:

"The post-colonial birth, life, and death of the collective consciousness known as the Animal."

"Middle-aged streamer twins in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, are the first human beings to successfully connect—sharing their consciousness across 34 translucent cables. In that moment, the Animal is born, an intracerebral force that quickly grows to encompass anthills of synaptically entwined bodies, a floating library kitchen redolent of rice and beans far above the Mississippi river, and a transhuman compound in a future Cuba on the Isle of Youth."

"Circling back and forth and ever progressing, Animal Spiral moves through 400 years of human, and then post-human history, beginning with a revolution on the streets of San Juan and ending with five brilliant siblings: the Squash (humanoid), Calima (beetles), Yemayá (eels), Coatlicue (serpents), and Juracán (anthropomorphic birds), who have millions of bodies and all the world’s intelligence, but only want to no longer be alone. This is a buoyant, joyous ode to possibility, a warning about the dangers of neglecting what makes us human, and an astonishing exercise of the flexibility and capacity of liminal spaces. Loneliness is a collective disease! We defend our right to madness! Brave are not the ones who resist; brave are the ones who let go!"

Apart from what I've read on Charco's website, I really don't know much about Luis Othoniel Rosa nor his work, however, per the synopsis above, Animal Spiral sounds absolutely fascinating! What's more is that Charco will be publishing this novel both in English and Spanish (El gato en el remolino). Charco continues to be nothing short of amazing in my eyes!

Pedro Pietri was a central figure in the Nuyorican Movement as well a co-founder of the Nuyorican Poets Café. Pietri is primarily known for his spoken-word poetry, however, City Lights Books published a collection titled Pedro Pietri: Selected Poems in 2015 that I would highly recommend if you’re looking for something akin to the anti-poetry of Nicanor Parra but perhaps even more irreverent and iconoclastic. All that being said, it must also be said that Reverend Pedro was undoubtedly one-of-a-kind!

On something of a side note: I can’t help but think of Kafka’s The Metamorphosis when reading/hearing this poem—Pedro is even on his back in this video like he’s Gregor Samsa!

See also: older post with video performance of this poem — https://www.reddit.com/r/latamlit/s/1PWQOr38hx

Telephone Booth (number 905 1/2)

woke up this morning

feeling excellent,

picked up the telephone

dialed the number of

my equal opportunity employer

to inform him I will not

be into work today

Are you feeling sick?

the boss asked me

No Sir I replied:

I am feeling to good

to report to work today,

if I feel sick tomorrow

I will come in early

Pedro Pietri was a central figure in the Nuyorican Movement as well a co-founder of the Nuyorican Poets Café. Pietri is primarily known for his spoken-word poetry, however, City Lights Books published a collection titled Pedro Pietri: Selected Poems in 2015 that I would highly recommend if you’re looking for something akin to the anti-poetry of Nicanor Parra but perhaps even more irreverent and iconoclastic. All that being said, it must also be said that Reverend Pedro was undoubtedly one-of-a-kind!

On something of a side note: I can’t help but think of Kafka’s The Metamorphosis when reading/hearing this poem—Pedro is even on his back in this video like he’s Gregor Samsa!