- Felipe Alfau
Felipe Alfau (1902–1999), was a
Spanish American (Catalan American )novelist andpoet . Like his contemporariesLuigi Pirandello andFlann O'Brien , Alfau is considered a forerunner of laterpostmodern writers such asVladimir Nabokov ,Thomas Pynchon ,Donald Barthelme , andGilbert Sorrentino .Born in
Barcelona , Alfau emigrated with his family at the age of fourteen to theUnited States , where he lived the remainder of his life. Alfau earned a living as atranslator ; his sparse fictional and poetic output remained obscure throughout most of his life.Alfau wrote two novels in English: "Locos: A Comedy of Gestures" and "Chromos." "Locos" — a metafictive collection of related short stories set in Toledo and
Madrid , involving several characters that defy the wishes of the author, write their own stories, and even assume each others' roles — was published byFarrar and Rinehart in 1936. The novel, for which Alfau was paid $250, received some critical acclaim, but little popular attention. The novel was republished in 1987 after an editor for the small publisherDalkey Archive Press found the book at a barn sale inMassachusetts , read it, and contacted Alfau after finding his telephone number in theManhattan phone book. The novel's second incarnation was modestly successful, but Alfau refused payment, instructing the publisher to use the earnings from "Locos" to fund some other unpublished work. When asked if he had written any other books, Alfau provided the manuscript for "Chromos", which had been resting in a drawer since 1948. "Chromos", a comic story of Spanish immigrants to theUnited States contending with their two cultures, went on to be nominated for theNational Book Award in 1990.Alfau also wrote a book of poetry in Spanish, "Sentimental Songs" ("La poesia cursi"), written between 1923 and 1987 and published in 1992, and a book of children's stories, "Old Tales from Spain", written in 1929.
External links
* [http://www.centerforbookculture.org/interviews/interview_alfau.html Interview with Felipe Alfau]
* [http://www.barcelonareview.com/12/e_fa_ret1.htm Felipe Alfau: A Retrospective]
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