Poetry. Fiction. California Interest. Translated from the Spanish by
David Shook. This mystery novel in verse won Mexico's highest literary
honor in 2009, the Xavier Villaurutia Prize. Here, it is translated by
Bolaño's translator, Dylan Thomas Prize shortlisted poet David Shook.
The novel centers around Mr. Gordon, who, after being let go from his
job due to his unstable behaviour, experiences the unfolding of his
spirit in an artificial Californian Eden. In the shade of a
thousand-leaved tree, very near a pool's edge, Gordon transcribes his
thoughts, memories and questions while he tries to cope with abuse from
his wife and his best friend, and battle dialogues emanating from an
interior voice reminding us of Berryman's Mr. Bones. DEATH ON RUA
AUGUSTA is the diary of a person who cannibalizes themselves. In this
important narrative poem, Tedi López Mills dives magisterially into the
machine of the mind to locate the fine line that keeps us tied to the
world. A chapter-based novel in poetry form, Tedi López Mills has
written DEATH ON RUA AUGUSTA in the magical realist tradition, drawing
on film noir and West Coast thrillers--making this a cinematically
surreal and strange delight for all readers.
