Readers may have been intrigued—or frightened!—recently by the profusion of literary folks around the country donning lucha libre masks and holding the galley of Mexican author Carlos Velázquez's debut short story collection, The Cowboy Bible, with the tagline "final cover to be unmasked." So what was up with the masquerade that one clever bookseller dubbed "lucha libro"? And what is the Cowboy Bible? As Publisher Weekly puts it in a stellar review of the book:
"The Cowboy Bible is a book of scripture. It is an inebriated burrito vendor, a talisman, and an anxious teenage girl seeking opportunities to rebel. It is an overweight single mother, a musical instrument, and the enigmatic forces binding Velázquez's surreal collection of prose in his English language debut. Eluding easy classification, the book has three parts: Fiction, Non-fiction, and Neither Fiction Nor Non-fiction. The stories take place in the fictional Mexican state of PopSTock! In the title story, the son of a professional wrestler continues his father's legacy, stepping into the ring under the alias Menace Jr., while also pursuing a career as a DJ, a musician, and a visual art critic. "The Post-Norteño Condition," is mostly dialogue and incorporates a stage play format. Its protagonist, Old Man Don Paulino, attempts to trade his soul and his wife to the Devil for a pair of rare boots. Like these narratives, all of the stories are distinct but share similarities in tone and structure: layers of pop culture references, quoted verses and song lyrics, and references to events mentioned in other portions of the book. In her translation, Obejas superbly amplifies Velázquez's style. Playful and clever, inventive but familiar, this brief book is deeply satisfying, and warrants multiple readings."
You can find out for yourself when the book goes on sale January 26. Scroll down to check out the brave booksellers and critics who donned the mask, see the final jacket artwork designed by Rodrigo Corral, and pre-order the book below!
by Carlos Velázquez
Translated from the Spanish by Achy Obejas
"The Cowboy Bible will challenge readers to push beyond cultural stereotypes and rethink everything they know about northern Mexico and their homes."
—NBC News
“Playful and clever, inventive but familiar, this brief book is deeply satisfying, and warrants multiple readings.… In her translation, Obejas superbly amplifies Velázquez's style.”
—Publishers Weekly Pick of the Week
Paperback • ISBN: 9781632060228
Publication date: Jan 26, 2016