Daniel Aristi “O no/ Or Not”
"'O no / Or not' is a reflection of a deep-seated fear of mine, which is finding oneself trapped in failed, even abusive relationships. Writing about this topic is somehow cathartic, I suppose. Of course, there is a raft of great poems about the ups and downs of romantic interactions already out there, and it is thus such an interesting challenge to come up with a new take on it. In this case, the image of a plastic rose down someone's throat as an allegory for a lie about love was the actual trigger for the poem. The couple in 'O no / Or not' are having difficulties, narrated from a woman's viewpoint, and keep on stumbling ahead, eroding each other, unable to find a solution.
I grew up in Spain in the 80s, when the US was perceived as a wonderland of limitless wealth and technological supremacy. Mastering English was thus a requirement to unlock the American reality, which eventually led me to write poetry in both Spanish and English. Here again there is a beautiful challenge in trying to make both versions of the same poem sound equally polished and engaging. And when I get stuck, Eduardo C Corral and Juan Felipe Herrera come to the rescue..!"
I grew up in Spain in the 80s, when the US was perceived as a wonderland of limitless wealth and technological supremacy. Mastering English was thus a requirement to unlock the American reality, which eventually led me to write poetry in both Spanish and English. Here again there is a beautiful challenge in trying to make both versions of the same poem sound equally polished and engaging. And when I get stuck, Eduardo C Corral and Juan Felipe Herrera come to the rescue..!"
Daniel Aristi was born in Spain. He studied French Literature as an undergrad (French Lycée in San Sebastian). He now lives and writes in Switzerland with his wife and two children. Daniel's work is forthcoming or has been recently featured in Queen's Ferry Press Anthology 'Best of Small Fictions 2016', Superstition Review, Dewpoint, and New Plains Review. Daniel is a Pushcart nominee (2015). He can be contacted at aristi.daniel(at)gmail.com
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