Birthday

Before you know it you are no longer young, and by the way, while you were thinking about other things, the world was changing--and then, just as suddenly you realize that you are fifty years old. Aira had anticipated his fiftieth--a time when he would not so much recall years past as look forward to what lies ahead--but the birthday came and went without much ado. It was only months later, while having a somewhat banal conversation with his wife about the phases of the moon, that he realized how little he really knows about his life. In Birthday Aira searches for the events that were significant to him during his first fifty years. Between anecdotes, and memories, the author ponders the origins of his personal truths, and meditates on literature meant as much for the writer as for the reader, on ignorance, knowledge, and death. Finally, Birthday is a little sad, in a serene, crystal-clear kind of way, which makes it even more irresistible.

Author: César Aira
Publisher: New Directions Publishing Corporation
Published: 02/26/2019
Pages: 88
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.20lbs
Size: 6.80h x 4.90w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9780811219099


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 12/15/2018
Publishers Weekly 01/28/2019

About the Author
Aira, César: - Nominated for a Neustadt award and the Man Booker International Prize, CÉSAR AIRA was born in Coronel Pringles, Argentina, in 1949. He has published at least one hundred books and recently created a limited edition, "The Valise," for the Museum of Modern Art, NYC.Andrews, Chris: - The poet CHRIS ANDREWS teaches at the University of Western Sydney, Australia, where he is a member of the Writing and Society Research Centre. He has translated books by Roberto Bolano and César Aira for New Directions. He has won the Anthony Hecht Poetry Prize for his poetry and the Valle-Inclan Prize and the French-American Foundation Translation Prize for his translations.