Sometimes the border is a mirror, sometimes it's an escape, and sometimes it's just the bridge you cross to go home.
All borders entangle those who live on either side, resulting in many a tale. Take, for instance, these seven evocative stories coming out of the Kentucky Club on Avenida Juárez two blocks south of the Rio Grande. It's a touchstone for all who walk by or go in for a drink or to score. The border on which it sits is really no border at all. Like all special watering holes, it is a liminal space, undefined and unclaimed. It welcomes Spanish and English, Mexicans and gringos, poor and rich, gay and straight, drug addicts and drunks, laughter and sadness, and even despair. It's a place of rich history and good drinks and cold beer and a long, polished mahogany bar. Some days it smells like piss. "I'm going home to the other side," folks say. That's a strange statement, but you hear it all the time at the Kentucky Club.
Product Details
ISBN-13: 9781935955320
Media Type: Paperback
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Publication Date: 10-30-2012
Pages: 224
Product Dimensions: 8.90(w) x 6.10(h) x 0.70(d)
About the Author
Benjamin Alire Sáenz is an award-winning novelist, poet, and writer of children's books. His many acclaimed titles include the picture books A Gift from Papá Diego, The Dog Who Loved Tortillas, and A Perfect Season for Dreaming; the young adult novels Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood and Last Night I Sang to the Monster; and the adult story collection Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club, all from Cinco Puntos Press. His Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe won the Printz Award, young adult literature's highest honor. Ben lives and works in El Paso, Texas. Visit his website at benjaminsaenz.com.