This issue we are pleased to
present a short story by Frederick Barthelme, editor of the highly esteemed Mississippi Review, director of the Writing Program
at the University of Southern Mississippi and a writer of unique wit and talent. If those
of you outside the United States don’t know what a “low-rider” is (as our
Spanish crew did not), the image on this page is an example, although Barthelme’s
delightful story “Driver” is all you need to get the full picture; it’s
about people, not cars, but the funky “low-rider” serves as a catalyst. Of
interest to U.S. readers: most of our Spanish crew didn’t exactly know what a
“tamale” was either.
Jumping to another culture, Helen Simpson’s
story takes us into a slightly offbeat corner of central London. With three
highly-acclaimed story collections already to her name (and numerous awards), Simpson is
one of the U.K.’s major new talents. If you don’t yet know her, catch her here
and you’ll see what all the fuss is about.
Frank Huyler (U.S.) is an emergency-room doctor in Albuquerque, New
Mexico, who also writes poetry and fiction. The two short stories in this issue -
from a series of 28 vignettes - reveal a doctor/writer whose exceptional powers of empathy
and insight take the reader to a deeper level of understanding than can ever be gleaned
from E.R. television or film scenarios.
New writer John Aber, on the faculty at the College of Mt.
Joseph, Ohio (U.S.), offers a selection from a series of stories he is writing set in
Licking County, Ohio.The delectable and offbeat “Massage” won us all over; we
expect you’ll be hearing more of his name.
From Spain, we present two short selections from Juan Goytisolo - “Spain’s greatest living
novelist,” says Carlos Fuentes. Goytisolo has been translated into many
languages and is well known internationally; here you can read two recent pieces in
translation by U.K.’s Peter Bush.
In poetry, it is with pleasure that we present some new poems by England’s Tim Turnbull as well as audio readings of “Raw Horse” and
“Popular Culture” - two poems previously published in TBR. For those of you
who would like to know what is happening now
in the world of spoken-word performance in the U.K., catch Turnbull - he’s fun,
vibrant and delivers a memorable reading of his work. From here in Catalunya,
one of TBR’s (and Catalunya’s) favorite poets, Antoni Clapés, offers a sampling from his recent work Hair’s Breadth, Epigrams/Epitaphs, as
translated by Matthew Tree. Matthew
Tree, btw, is an English
native who lives in Barcelona and writes in the language of his adopted Catalunya. He
is presently on the bestseller lists here for his non-fiction work, CAT: An Englishman Travels Around Catalonia To See
If It Exists. A few issues ago we published his story “Summer of Love,”
from the award-winning collection Ella ve quan vol
(She Turns Up When She Wants To). We recommend you check it out if you happen to have
missed it.
Our quiz this issue is on George Orwell, who is dear to Barcelona, where over 60
years ago - in TBR’s own barrio - he joined the ranks of a group of Catalan
Republicans who fought against Franco. His classic Homage to Catalonia shows his disillusionment with
communism and the Spanish Civil War effort, but because of its honest and insightful
political assessment as well as its compassionate humanitarianism, both the book and
Orwell are revered here in Catalunya. No winner from last issue’s Gothic/Horror Quiz, but a near miss in a joint
entry from Anna Pedroso and Patrick Hennessey, who definitely know the genre. Click here for the answers.
We’ll be back around mid-March with our special St. Jordi Day/World Book Day issue.
If you’d like to be notified when new issues are available, just e-m@il us
with “subscribe” or “que pasa” in the Subject Box.
In the meantime, good reading to all . . .
Jill Adams,
editor
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