To further support Action Books’ growing community of writers and readers, we’ve decided to launch a new initiative on the Action Books Blog. Selected by our editorial staff, a recurring series called Action Fokus will highlight excerpts from 12+ radical manuscripts submitted by poets and translators during our 2022 Open Reading Period. Today we are featuring excerpts from Jeannine Marie Pitas’ translation of Romina Freschi’s redondel (little round thing).
Originally published in Buenos Aires in 1998, redondel is Argentine poet Romina Freschi’s first book. She describes it as very much influenced by the wild social life she was living in her youth as well as the pop culture of the time, from the Beastie Boys to Pulp Fiction. I interpret the text as a satiric critique of mass media and youth culture: television, film, music, and video games all come under scrutiny. The author also sees this book as an exploration of gender ambiguity, as many of its characters – including the main narrator – are gender-fluid or nonbinary. This book was part of the feminist movement of the 1990’s and, with its focus on urban themes and youth culture, can also be read as a reaction against the magical realism and fantastic literature of earlier generations. I see this book as deeply prescient of our own media-saturated world, where the boundaries between images and reality can become all too blurred, where discerning truth can be as difficult as it is crucial.
– Jeannine Marie Pitas
MI CHICA BLUE ESTÁ TRISTE.
DICE QUE ESTÁ GORDA, Y DICE QUE ESTÁ FEA.
LLORA MUCHO, MIENTRAS MIRA REVISTAS DE MODA Y
SE COMPRA TODAS LAS BARBIEDADES DE BARBIE.
MEJOR, SOS DEFORME… – LE DIJE YO.
Y SE ENOJÓ. SE PUSO A LLORAR MÁS FUERTE.
POR SUERTE ME BASTA CON BESARLA Y TOCARLA UN POCO.
ASÍ SE PONE CONTENTA UNA VEZ.
A MI ME ENCANTA MI NOVIA BLUE.
ES REDONDA, BLANDA, Y COMPACTA.
ES PERFECTA.
MY GIRL BLUE IS SAD
MY GIRL BLUE IS SAD.
SHE SAYS SHE’S FAT, AND SHE SAYS SHE’S UGLY.
SHE CRIES A LOT, AS SHE LOOKS AT FASHION MAGAZINES AND
BUYS ALL OF BARBIE’S BARBIERITIES.
“GREAT, YOU’RE DEFORMED…” I TOLD HER.
AND SHE GOT MAD. SHE STARTED TO CRY EVEN MORE.
LUCKILY I JUST HAVE TO KISS HER AND TOUCH HER A LITTLE.
THEN SHE’S HAPPY FOR ONCE.
I ADORE MY GIRLFRIEND BLUE.
SHE’S ROUND, DELICATE, AND COMPACT.
SHE’S PERFECT.
BLANCHE Y LULI INVENTARON UNAS PISTOLAS LÁSER QUE VEMOS EN LA
TELE. DE TRASNOCHE SÁBADO A LA MAÑANA LAS VIERON EN UN
BOSTEZO DE ABURRIMIENTO TELEVISIÓN. Y SE ENCAPRICHARON.
-LAS QUEREMOS!!!.
SIN DORMIR NUNCA MÁS ESA TRASNOCHE, TRABAJARON DÍA Y NOCHE CONSTRUYENDO LAS PISTOLAS. Y CUANDO LAS TERMINARON,
PENSARON QUE QUERÍAN AFILIARSE A LA GUERRA. SE HICIERON TRAJES
ESPACIALES DE TENIENTE Y CORONEL, Y ENTRENARON A UNA CENTENA
DE CENTINELAS ENANOS DE VIDEOJUEGOS. AHORA PATRULLAN LAS
CALLES, Y DISPARAN MANCHONES DE COLORES CON SUS PISTOLAS
LÁSER DE TELEVISIÓN A TODOS LOS BERRUGOS MALOLIENTES, QUE YO
NO SÉ QUIÉNES SON. LOS PINTAN, Y LOS BERRUGOS SE MUEREN. O SI
NO SE REDUCEN Y SE METEN EN COMPUTACIÓN PARA ESTUDIAR Y SER
CENTINELAS DE VIDEOJUEGOS. BLANCHE Y LULI DAN LAS CLASES. Y EL
QUE NO PASA DE NIVEL, NO RECIBE BONUS, Y SE DESINTEGRA EN LA
PANTALLA. BLANCHE Y LULI ENTONCES APLAUDEN, Y COMEN PASTELES.
ES QUE ODIAN A LOS BERRUGOS MALOLIENTES. Y NO LES QUIEREN
ENSEÑAR.
BLANCHE AND LULI INVENTED SOME LASER PISTOLS SEEN ON
TV. FROM LATE-NIGHT SATURDAY THROUGH THE NEXT MORNING THEY WATCHED
TV WITH A BORED YAWN. AND THEN THEY INSISTED.
“WE WANT THOSE!”
STAYING UP LONG PAST THEIR BEDTIME, THEY WORKED DAY AND NIGHT
BUILDING THE PISTOLS. AND WHEN THEY FINISHED,
THEY THOUGHT THEY WANTED TO JOIN THE WAR. THEY MADE COLONEL
AND LIEUTENANT SPACE SUITS, AND THEY TRAINED ONE HUNDRED
DWARF SENTINELS FROM VIDEOGAMES. NOW THEY PATROL THE
STREETS, AND THEY SHOOT COLORFUL PAINT WITH THEIR TV
LASER PISTOLS AT ALL THE SMELLY WARTGUTS, I DON’T KNOW
WHO THEY ARE. THEY COVER THEM IN PAINT, AND THE WARTGUTS DIE. OR
ELSE THEY SHRINK AND ENROLL IN COMPUTER SCIENCE PROGRAMS TO STUDY AND BECOME VIDEOGAME SENTINELS. BLANCHE AND LULI TEACH THE CLASSES. AND
WHOEVER DOESN’T PASS THE LEVEL DOESN’T GET A BONUS, AND HE DISINTEGRATES ON THE SCREEN. THEN BLANCHE AND LULI APPLAUD, AND THEY EAT PASTRIES.
IT’S BECAUSE THEY HATE THOSE SMELLY WARTGUTS. AND THEY DON’T WANT
TO TEACH THEM.
NADIA OBSESIONADA POR LA VANGUARDIA. ESCRIBE POEMAS DE GUERRILLERA. Y REVOLUCIONA LA COMPRENSIÓN INCRUSTANDO OBJETOS MINIATURA EN EL PAPEL, AHÍ DONDE VAN LOS SUSTANTIVOS COMUNES Y CONCRETOS. OBLIGA A TODO EL MUNDO A LEERLO, DICIENDO… – NO SE PARECE A PULP FICTION? NO SE PARECE A PULP FICTION?… TODOS LE DICEN QUE SÍ. Y NADIA ES FELIZ.
NADIA IS OBSESSED BY THE AVANT-GARDE. SHE WRITES GUERRILLA FIGHTER POEMS. AND SHE REVOLUTIONIZES UNDERSTANDING BY SETTING MINIATURE OBJECTS ON THE PAPER, WHERE ALL THE COMMON AND CONCRETE NOUNS GO. SHE MAKES EVERYONE READ IT, SAYING…ISN’T THIS JUST LIKE PULP FICTION? ISN’T THIS JUST LIKE PULP FICTION?…EVERYONE SAYS YES. AND NADIA IS HAPPY.
EL HÉROE DE ESTA GUERRA SE LLAMA SOLDADO DESCONOCIDO.
TODOS LE DICEN SOLDI.
PERO EN LA ESCUELA ENSEÑAN A LOS NIÑOS Y A LOS BERRUGOS A DECIRLE SEÑOR DESCONOCIDO.
SE ABREVIA SOLDESC.
SU NOVIA LO LLAMA SOL.
SU MADRE SOLSÍN.
EN INGLÉS ES UNKNOWN SOLDIER.
BLANCHE Y LULI NO LO LLAMAN. NO QUIEREN QUE SEA EL HÉROE DE LA GUERRA. BLANCHE Y LULI QUIEREN SERLO.
LOS RICOS LO DESPRECIAN Y DICEN QUE SE LLAMA JUAN PÉREZ.
YO NO LO CONOZCO.
SOLDADO DESCONOCIDO SE DICE YO.
THE HERO OF THIS WAR IS CALLED UNKNOWN SOLDIER.
EVERYONE CALLS HIM SOLDI.
BUT IN SCHOOL THEY TEACH THE KIDS AND THE WARTGUTS TO CALL HIM MR. UNKNOWN.
THE NAME IS ABBREVIATED UNSOLD.
HIS GIRLFRIEND CALLS HIM SOL.
HIS MOTHER SOLDOUT.
IN SPANISH HE’S SOLDADO DESCONOCIDO.
BLANCHE AND LULI DON’T CALL HIM ANYTHING. THEY DON’T WANT HIM TO BE THE WAR HERO.
THEY WANT TO BE THE HERO.
THE RICH TRY TO KNOCK HIM AND SAY HIS NAME IS JUAN PÉREZ.
I DON’T KNOW HIM.
THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER CALLS HIMSELF I.
Z: -QUÉ SIGNIFICA HAADAN???
LA MAESTRA:- ES EL GRITO DE GUERRA DE LOS BERRUGOS MALOLIENTES…
B:-PERO, NO ERA EL GRITO DE MUERTE???
LA MAESTRA:- BUENO, SI… LO QUE PASA ES QUE LA IDEA ORIGINAL ERA USARLO COMO ALIENTO DE BATALLA… Y CUANDO SE MUEREN LO DICEN PARA DEMOSTRAR QUE SOSTIENEN SUS IDEALES HASTA LA MUERTE…
BLANCHE Y LULI: -SI, CLARO, CLARO. PERO LO QUE REALMENTE PASA ES QUE CON LA INVENCIÓN DE LAS PISTOLAS LÁSER DE T.V. LOS BERRUGOS MALOLIENTES NO HACEN SINO MORIRSE…
LA MAESTRA:- SI, ESO LO POPULARIZÓ MÁS COMO GRITO FINAL,… LA MUERTE ES MÁS RÁPIDA, DEJA POCO TIEMPO PARA DECIR LO QUE REALMENTE…
BLANCHE Y LULI: SI, CLARO, SI. Y AHORA CON LA NUEVA LÍNEA DE PISTOLAS CON PERFUMES EXÓTICOS ROJOS, LES ASEGURAMOS QUE ESCUCHARAN HAADAN AL MÓDICO INTERVALO DE 135 SEGUNDOS, PORQUE EL RAYO LÁSER MATA A UNO, PERO EL PERFUME MATA A TODO BERRUGO QUE ESTÉ ALREDEDOR.
Z:- PERO QUÉ SIGNIFICA HAADAN???
H:- …
LA MAESTRA:- HAY MUCHAS TEORÍAS PERO LA VERSIÓN OFICIAL…
D: -VOS QUÉ CREES?
BLANCHE Y LULI:- NADA!!!, NO SIGNIFICA NADA!!! HAY QUE MATAR A TODOS LOS BERRUGOS… CON PISTOLAS BLANCHE Y LULI… DEMENTES!!!
D:- VOS QUE CREES?
B:-TIENE RELACIÓN CON ALGÚN IDIOMA ANTIGUO? PROCEDE ACASO DE UNA JERGA PARTICULAR BERRUGA DESCONOCIDA? SI ES ASÍ, HABRÍA QUE PENSAR EL VALIOSO BAGAJE CULTURAL QUE SE ESTÁ DESTRUYENDO CON LA GUERRA…
BLANCHE Y LULI:- CULTURA!!!??? LOS BERRUGOS HUELEN MAL!!! NADA MAS! MÁTENLOS!!! MÁTENLOS!!!
C:- POBRES BERRUGOS!!!
BLANCHE Y LULI:- MÁTENLOS!!! MÁTENLOS!!!
Z:- QUÉ SIGNIFICA HAADAN?
K:- ROSEBUD…
X:- ES UNA INCÓGNITA .
D:-VOS QUE CREES?
H:- …
LA MAESTRA: – ES EL GRITO DE GUERRA DE LOS BERRUGOS.
B: Y SI FUERA ALGÚN CÓDIGO SECRETO PARA UNA RESISTENCIA, O GRUPO ALIADO… QUIZÁ SE BASA EN LA ENTONACIÓN, O EN LA GESTUALIDAD…- B GESTICULA.
LA MAESTRA:- ES EL GRITO DE GUERRA DE LOS BERRUGOS.
BLANCHE Y LULI:- MÁTENLOS!!! MÁTENLOS!!! HAY PISTOLAS PARA TODOS…
Z: WHAT DOES “GGNIHTON” MEAN???
THE TEACHER:- IT’S THE WAR CRY OF THE SMELLY WARTGUTS…
B:- BUT, WASN’T IT THEIR DEATH CRY?
THE TEACHER: WELL, YES… THE ORIGINAL IDEA WAS TO USE IT FOR CONSOLATION IN BATTLE…AND WHEN THEY DIE THEY SAY IT TO SHOW THAT THEY’VE HELD ONTO THEIR IDEALS TO DEATH…
BLANCHE AND LULI: -YES, SURE, OF COURSE. BUT WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON IS THAT SINCE THE INVENTION OF TV LASER PISTOLS THE SMELLY WARTGUTS CAN’T HELP BUT DIE…
YES- YES, THAT’S WHAT POPULARIZED THIS WORD AS A FINAL CRY…DEATH COMES FASTER, LEAVING LITTLE TIME FOR THEM TO SAY WHAT THEY REALLY…
BLANCHE Y LULI: YES, OF COURSE, YES, AND NOW WITH THE NEW LINE OF PISTOLS WITH EXOTIC RED PERFUMES, I ASSURE YOU THAT YOU WILL HEAR “HADAAN” AT THE MODEST INTERVAL OF EVERY 135 SECONDS BECAUSE THE LASER BEAM KILLS ONE, BUT THE PERFUME KILLS ANY WARTGUTS IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY.
Z:- BUT WHAT DOES “GGNIHTON” MEAN???
H:- …
THE TEACHER:- THERE ARE MANY THEORIES BUT THE OFFICIAL VERSION…
D: -WHAT DO YOU THINK?
BLANCHE AND LULI:- NOTHING!!! IT MEANS NOTHING!!! WE HAVE TO KILL ALL THE WARTGUTS…WITH BLANCHE AND LULI PISTOLS…DEMENTED!!!
D:- WHAT DO YOU THINK?
B:-IS IT RELATED TO SOME ANCIENT LANGUAGE? MAYBE IT’S A SLANG WORD FROM SOME PARTICULAR WARTGUT WE’VE NOT HEARD OF? IN THAT CASE, WE SHOULD CONSIDER THE VALUABLE CULTURAL BAGGAGE THAT’S GETTING DESTROYED IN THE WAR…
BLANCHE AND LULI:- CULTURE!!!??? THE WARTGUTS SMELL BAD!!! THAT’S IT! KILL THEM!!! KILL THEM!!!
C:- THE POOR WARTGUTS!!!
BLANCHE AND LULI:- KILL THEM!!! KILL THEM!!!
Z:- WHAT DOES “GGNIHTON” MEAN?
K:- ROSEBUD…
X:- IT’S A MYSTERY.
D:-WHAT DO YOU THINK?
H:- …
THE TEACHER: – IT’S THE WAR CRY OF THE WARTGUTS.
B: AND IF IT WERE SOME SECRET CODE FOR A RESISTANCE MOVEMENT, OR AN ALLIED GROUP…MAYBE IT’S BASED ON INTONATION, OR GESTURE (GESTURING).
THE TEACHER:- IT’S THE WAR CRY OF THE WARTGUTS.
BLANCHE Y LULI:- KILL THEM! KILL THEM! HERE, WE’VE GOT PISTOLS FOR EVERYONE…
– CHICLES NIRVANA! – GLOBOS MÁS GRANDES! – PLACER SEGURO! – EXCLUSIVA FORMA ANATÓMICA DE PISTOLA LÁSER DE T.V.! – CHICLES NIRVANA! – SOLO PRESIONAR CON LA LENGUA EL GATILLO Y EL MÁS PURO CHORRO DE ALMÍBAR INUNDA TU MENTE Y TE LLEVA A… – CHICLES NIRVANA! – GLOBOS MÁS GRANDES! ÑAM ÑAM ÑAM ÑAM – CHICLES NIRVANA! – SON DE BLANCHE Y LULI! – SON LA FELICIDAD! – CHICLES NIRVANA! – DEMENTES!.
“NIRVANA GUM!” “BIGGER BUBBLES!” “PLEASURE GUARANTEED!” “EXCLUSIVE ANATOMICAL FORM OF LASER PISTOLS SEEN ON TV!” “NIRVANA GUM!” “JUST PRESS THE TRIGGER WITH YOUR TONGUE AND THE PUREST STREAM OF SYRUP FLOODS YOUR MIND AND TAKES YOU TO… “NIRVANA GUM!” “BIGGER BUBBLES!” “NYAM NYAM NYAM NYAM!” “NIRVANA GUM!” “MADE BY BLANCHE AND LULI!” “THIS IS HAPPINESS!” “NIRVANA GUM!” “DEMENTED!”
-MIEDO A SER PAPA FRITA…-BLUE ESTÁ HABLANDO SERIAMENTE. LLORA Y MIRA LA ÚLTIMA PAPA DE LA FUENTE QUE LE SERVÍ. -PAPA FRITA??? HMMM! QUÉ RICA SERÍAS BLUE!!! … DALE, BLUE, COME PAPITAS. HOY QUIERO COMERTE FRITA… – LLENO LA FUENTE UNA VEZ.- SABOR CEBOLLA, BLUE. HOY A LA NOCHE: PAPA FRITA DE CEBOLLA… DALE, CEBOLLITA, TE QUIERO REDONDITA! BLUE SIGUE LLORANDO. – DALE, BLUE, QUE SON DE BAJAS CALORÍAS, CON ACEITE VEGETAL Y CEBOLLA NATURAL… – LE MIENTO. – IDIOTA!!! – BLUE ME BESA. AUNQUE IGUAL LLORA. TEME SER PAPA FRITA. Y SE COME TODAS LAS PAPITAS. QUIERE ACABAR CON SU IMAGEN. NO DEJA UNA MIGUITA. YO ME RELAMO.
“I’M SCARED OF BEING A POTATO CHIP…” BLUE IS BEING SERIOUS. SHE’S CRYING AND LOOKING AT THE LAST POTATO CHIP ON THE PLATE I SET OUT FOR HER. “A POTATO CHIP! HMM! HOW TASTY YOU WOULD BE, BLUE!!!…COME OUT, BLUE, EAT THE CHIPS. TODAY I WANT TO EAT YOU LIKE A CHIP…” I FILL THE PLATE ONE MORE TIME. THEY’RE ONION-FLAVORED, BLUE. TONIGHT: ONION POTATO CHIPS…COME ON, MY LITTLE ONION, I LOVE YOU WHEN YOU’RE CHUBBY! BLUE KEEPS ON CRYING. “COME ON, BLUE, THESE ARE REDUCED FAT ONES, WITH VEGETABLE OIL AND REAL ONIONS…” I LIE. “IDIOT!” BLUE KISSES ME. BUT SHE KEEPS ON CRYING. SHE’S SCARED OF BEING A POTATO CHIP. BUT SHE EATS THEM ALL. SHE WANTS TO BE DONE WITH HER IMAGE. SHE DOESN’T LEAVE A CRUMB. I LICK MY LIPS.
Romina Freschi was born in 1974 in Buenos Aires, where she received her B.A. in Literature from the Universidad de Buenos Aires. Her publications include redondel (Siesta, 1998), Estremezcales (tsé tsé, 2000), Petróleo (Eloísa Latinoamericana, 2002), El-Pe-Yo (Paradiso, 2003), as well as the chapbooks Soleros (BAND, 1998), Incrustraciones en confite (Self-published, 1999), Villa Ventana (Arte Plegable, 2003), 3/3/3 (Proveedora de Droga, 2005), Solaris (pájarosló editora, 2007), Variaciones de Órbita (pájarosló, 2010), Quien siem-pre gana es Poseidón (Tocadesata, 2011), Ejercicio Cósmico (Los poetas del 5 ed. Chile, 2011) and Eco del parque (Juana Ramirez, 2016). She has received a Fundación Antorchas grant, and in 2004 and 2006 she received grants from the Argentine government for her literary magazine Plebella. Her collaborative projects include the group Zapa-tos Rojos, the multispace Cabaret Voltaire, and the project Living de la Poesía. She is editor of the collection Arte Plegable and the independent publishing house pájarosló editora.
