Read the beginning of Chapter 2 from Death as a Side Effect by Ana María Shua, Translated by Andrea G. Labinger:

"The telephone woke me like a scream. It was my father. It was nighttime. I called a taxi. There are several dangerous blocks between his house and mine, but in an armored car, I felt safe. Taxis are little fortresses on wheels, one of the few trustworthy institutions we’ve got left.

Until a few years ago, you could still walk in the city. When we started seeing each other, I allowed myself to dream that one day we would walk along the street together, that one day you wouldn’t mind being seen in public with me. I even imagined holding your hand on some solitary stroll, caressing your short, delicate fingers, the sensitive oval of your fingernails. You didn’t like your hands; you thought they were too small: you used to spread out your fi ngers, displaying them for me, comparing them with the size of your palms, criticizing their shortness. You didn’t like them, but to me, your childlike hands on my chest were so beautiful—deceitful, touching, and perfect: yours.

Continue reading “Off the Shelf: Death as a Side Effect by Ana María Shua”

Lincoln seems to finally be settling into the autumn season with bright leaves blowing across streets and people dressing in cozy sweaters. For this week, Wyoming Folklore is hot off the press. This book is based on writings collected via the Federal Writer's Project, which was issued by Franklin Roosevelt in an attempt to employ out-of-work teachers, writers, and scholars. They fanned out across the country to collect and document local lore. This book reveals the remarkable results of the FWP in Wyoming at a time when it was still possible to interview Civil War veterans and former slaves, homesteaders … Continue reading Federal Writers’ Project in the news — and subject of new UNP book