A French-born Mexican journalist and author, specializing in works on social and political issues focused on those considered disenfranchised, especially women....
La Ruptura by Elena Poniatowska
This story is from Elena Poniatowska’s book, De Noche Vienes.
I couldn’t find an English version of the book, which is a tragedy. Poniatowska is an influential Mexican literary figure whose work focuses on the experiences of the poor and disenfranchised. Her writing is singularly free, with prose that, at times, borders on poetry.
I translated this story, in hopes that it might reach a wider audience.
The 2013 winner (announced April, 2014) is the Mexican writer Elena Poniatowska, only the fourth woman to win the prize.
Or at least a different audience.
She felt like the words were flapping around the room before he even said them. With one hand she smoothed her hair, with the other she pretended to calm her heartbeat. Anyways, she had to prepare dinner and do bills.
But the words went from one side to the other turning over in the air (without coming down) like black butterflies, brushing against ears. She got the notebook from the kitchen and a pencil; the tip was so sharp that, when writing, it broke the page, and this hurt.
The walls of the room narrowed in t