Argentine writer César Aira follows neither the rules of literature nor of literary fame. His work has been translated into 37 languages, Patti Smith says he's one of her favorite authors and he's been named as a likely future Nobel Prize laureate. Yet he lives quietly in Buenos Aires and lets small presses publish his books for free. He rarely gives interviews, but made an exception for Alejandro Chacoff, who spoke to him for The Dial.
Originally written in 2013, this meta novella asks the author to choose between Magic and Literature. Are the two, in fact, the same? Or is Magic a transcendence of Literature? A quick, fun read that’s sitting with me the more I turn it over in my head.