HEART OF SCORPIO (El corazón del escorpión)
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::ABOUT THE BOOK:: If you prefer books with fairy-tale endings, you would do well to not read this novel. Even in the English translation these Colombian characters and places will sit very close to you. In bursts of fiction and nonfiction, Heart of Scorpio tells the tragic story of ex-champion boxer, Antonio Cervantes (“Kid Pambelé”), using four distinct voices that represent the personal, family, social, and public aspects of the protagonist’s life. When combined these vignettes reveal all the pathos of the human condition, both at the height of brilliant success and in the depths of disastrous failure. Originally published in Spanish as El corazón del escorpión, this winner of the IX annual National Novel Award from the Medellín Chamber of Commerce raises the bar for boxing literature. Literary Fiction ::PRESS:: Writing on the Air w/ Francois Pointeau (KOOP radio interview) ::PRAISE:: To be sure, Heart of Scorpio is not the story of a heavyweight champion, but it is a powerfully told story that carries a knockout punch. Joseph Avski’s Heart of Scorpio, translated from the Spanish by Mark McGraw, offers a bittersweet meditation on the trappings of fame and its discontents. The pathos of failure and seductive delusions of grandeur are at the core of Joseph Avski’s novel Heart of Scorpio. ::PLAY AUDIO EXCERPT:: Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. ::PERUSE:: Also available at Farewell Books in Austin, Texas.::ABOUT THE AUTHOR:: Born in 1980 in Medellín, Colombia, Joseph Avski graduated with a degree in Physics from the Universidad de Antioquia (Colombia) and an MFA in Creative Writing from University of Texas at El Paso. He has published poetry and short stories in Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Spain, Mexico, and the USA; and has won short story contests in Colombia, Uruguay, and the USA. In 2009, he won the IX annual National Novel Award from the Medellín Chamber of Commerce with his opera prima El corazón del escorpión (Heart of Scorpio). In 2010, he was the finalist in the XII Novel Biennial “José Eustasio Rivera” with his novel El libro de los infiernos (The Book of Infernos). He is currently earning his Ph.D. in Hispanic Studies from Texas A&M University. ::ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR:: After a twenty-year career as a Marine Corps infantry officer that included service in thirty-five countries, Mark David McGraw entered the doctoral program in Hispanic Studies at Texas A&M University in 2009. He has translated poetry, academic articles and literary works from Spanish to English for anthologies, journals and magazines. He currently resides in College Station, Texas with his family. |
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