Reading Corner

South by South Bronx, a novel by
Bronx native Abraham Rodriguez

"When Puerto Rican ladies' man Alex awakes one morning to find a mysterious woman in his bed, he assumes he's suffered another embarrassing blackout. He soon learns, however, that Ava is no one-night stand--in fact, he's never met her before. As her story begins to unfold, and her reason for appearing in his bed emerges, it is not just Alex's life that she risks, nor her own, but the entire character of the South Bronx . . ."

Abraham Rodriguez was born and raised in the South Bronx. His first book, The Boy without a Flag, was a 1993 New York Times Notable Book of the Year. His novel Spidertown won a 1995 American Book Award and was optioned by Columbia Pictures. His next novel, The Buddha Book, was published by Picador in 2001. He currently lives in Berlin, Germany.

Rodriguez is back in New York City promoting his newest book.

You can meet the author at 6 p.m. tonight at Cemi Underground in East Harlem. Free admission. Go to www.cemiunderground.com for more information.

Rodriguez will return home to the South Bronx next week as part of the Bronx Culture Trolley activities. He will be reading from his book at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Longwood Art Gallery at Hostos Community College. Free. Visit www.bronxarts.org for more information.

The book, published by Akashic Books, is also available online. Go to http://www.akashicbooks.com/sxsb.htm. Akashic Books is a Brooklyn-based independent company dedicated to publishing urban literary fiction and political nonfiction by authors who are either ignored by the mainstream, or who have no interest in working within the ever-consolidating ranks of the major corporate publishers.

Rodriguez can't be ignored.

"A street poet like Bob Dylan, Abraham Rodriguez has woven a lyrically inventive and sophisticated noir, worthy of the people he champions. Full of unforgettable one liners, South by South Bronx manages to film a neighborhood filled with beauty, danger, and magic. One fearless, hell of a literary mystery novel." --Ernesto Quinonez, author of Bodega Dreams

Rodriguez has gotten some rave reviews for his writings. Check out Akashic's site.

Here's a link to an article about Rodriguez that appeared in the New York Daily News:
http://www.nydailynews.com/latino/2008/04/30/2008-04-30_author_abraham_rodriguez_delves_into_bar.html