Translated from the Spanish by Keith Ekiss with Mauricio Espinoza and Sonia P. Ticas

ABOUT THE BOOK

Sleep not, sleep not, live in vigilance... 

Eunice Odio continues her epic poem on language and the fate of the poet with The Fire's Journey, Part II: Creation of Myself. Risking the entirety of existence in his quest to counter the forces of chaos, the poet-hero Ion assumes bodily form and enters the world to battle the Void, the emblem of darkness. Along the way, he's joined by Dedalus, the master labyrinth-builder who guides the poet on his travels and warns Ion of the trials ahead. A much-neglected masterpiece of 20th-century Latin American poetry, The Fire's Journey will be published by Tavern Books in an English translation across four volumes.

"With The Fire's Journey, Eunice Odio entered Parnassus beside Milton and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. In Part II, polyphonic voices and dramatic dialogues channel the adventure of the stateless poet. We witness the birth of Ion and his shadow, the 'creation of myself.' How fortunate we are the poem will be published completely in English and, in addition, marvelously translated." 

—Tania Pleitez

REVIEWS

Christopher Bernard Reviews Eunice Odio’s Poetry Collection The Fire’s Journey: Volume II, by Christopher Bernard (Synchronized Chaos)

ABOUT EUNICE ODIO

Eunice Odio (1909-1974) is considered the leading Costa Rican poet of the twentieth century. She traveled and lived throughout Central America and the United States before settling for much of her life in Mexico City. Her principal works include Los elementos terrestres (Earthly Elements, 1948), Zona en territorio del alba (Zone in the Territory of Dawn, 1953), El tránsito de fuego (The Fire's Journey, 1957), and Territorio del alba y otros poemas (Territory of Dawn and Other Poems, 1974). In addition to her poetry, she was the author of short stories and numerous political and cultural essays. Her complete works were published by the University of Costa Rica in 1996.

72 pages | 5.5 x 7.5 in.
ISBN-13: 978-1-935635-48-2 (paperback)
ISBN-13: 978-1-935635-49-9 (hardcover)