Norman Thomas Di Giovanni

"Di Giovanni first met Jorge Luis Borges in 1967, when the Argentine writer was lecturing at Harvard. Impressed by di Giovanni's editorial skills, Borges invited the young translator to Buenos Aires. There, over the course of four years, the two embarked on a major translation of Borges's prose and poetry into English. This work, much of it published for the first time in the New Yorker and widely acclaimed, helped to establish Borges as the international literary figure he is today.". "In The Lesson of the Master, di Giovanni writes movingly of their friendship and close collaboration. He draws on this unique relationship to explore Borges's work and in these insightful and often humorous essays succeeds in enlivening our understanding of the author and the man."--BOOK JACKET.

Thirteen new stories by the celebrated writer, including two which he considers his greatest achievements to date, artfully blend elements from many literary geares.

(160)p. ; 23 cm

A biography of Borges, by his translator. Jorge Luis Borges, known as Georgie to his friends, married Elsa Astete Millan in 1967. Borges was sixty-eight years old at the time of the wedding; Elsa, a widow, with a son in his twenties, was eleven years younger. It proved to be a tempestuous and eventful marriage that would leave an indelible mark on the remainder of Borges' life, but their relationship has been largely glossed over by previous biographers. This is because the one person who knew all the details has refused to speak about it. Until now. Norman Thomas di Giovanni worked with Borges in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and in Buenos Aires from late 1967 to 1972 and thereafter sporadically until Borges's death in 1986. During their first period together di Giovanni spent more time with the couple than did almost anyone else. He was privy to the private side of their relationship and to its sudden decline. It was di Giovanni who helped the demoralized Borges by organizing and arranging his divorce and at the same time rescuing his library and smuggling him out of Buenos Aires to avoid the wrath of Elsa and her lawyers. The book is based on the author's extensive collection of original material in the form of diaries, notebooks, letters, manuscripts, and photographs, most of which has never before been seen. It provides a unique insight into one of the few true geniuses of literature.

The Anglo-Argentine Society's annual Jorge Luis Borges lectures were inaugurated in 1983, with Borges himself delivering the opening talk. The first set, collected in 1988 under the title In Memory of Borges, also contained work by Graham Greene and Mario Vargas Llosa. The Borges Tradition, which includes essays by both imaginative writers and scholars, collects the lectures given from 1988 to 1993. The volume treats us to the subversive humour of Cuban-British novelist Guillermo Cabrera Infante; the late Angela Carter detailing Borges's imaginary zoo; Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes describing his early formative years in Buenos Aires; Simon Collier marking the 150th anniversary of the birth of W. H. Hudson; and the celebrated Argentine novelist, Adolfo Bioy-Casares, Borges's long-time friend and collaborator, holding an informal conversation with his audience. Appendices include an important essay by Adolfo Bioy-Casares on his work with Borges and a checklist, compiled by Jason Wilson, of Argentine literature published in English between 1988 and 1993.