The Joy of Being Awake
ABOUT
THE BOOK
The Joy of Being Awake is narrated by Gaspar Medina, now seventy-two and reflecting on a life nearing its end. Medina is, as the original Spanish title suggests, a ‘hidalgo disoluto’, and that element is certainly the dominant one of his life-tale — even if his dissolution is only part of the story, and of his unusual character. (The English title comes from his observation that it was in reading that he found “the joy of being awake”; now, in penning (or, more accurately, largely dictating) these reminiscences he finds also: “the joy of remembering”.)
Orphaned at sixteen — “the first orphan of the Spanish Civil War”, in fact (and rather unnecessarily, Abad not really making much of this) –, Medina’s parents left him enough money for him to live in considerable comfort, and never have to worry about working for a living. The death of his parents certainly marked him, but he was already somewhat of an odd duck even before that. He begins his story acknowledging that he wasn’t like the other boys — and, indeed, that sinful behaviour (of almost any kind) baffled him, as did most indulgence: food, for example, or sex — to the extent that he: “developed schematic rituals in pursuit of carnality”.
Original title in Spanish, Asuntos de un hidalgo disoluto
ABOUT
THE TRANSLATOR Nathan
Budoff
Nathan Budoff Mc Kiben was born and grew up in Massachusetts. He attended the Museum of Fine Arts School in Boston, and after a stay of one year in Madrid, completed a bachelor’s degree in fine arts at the University of Massachusetts. Subsequently, he moved to New York, and exhibited his work at several East Village galleries, before pursuing a master’s degree at the Art Institute of Chicago. He was invited to show his work at several galleries, such as the Union League Club of Chicago, while studying for his master’s. In 1993-94, Budoff earned a Fulbright scholarship that allowed him to move with his wife to Bogotá, Colombia. At present he is a Puerto Rico resident and a Humanities professor at the University of Puerto Rico in Río Piedras.
In addition to painting, his interest has turned to books in recent years. Budoff has translated four texts from Spanish into English, and these have been published in the United States. He has also been involved in the production of three artist books, combining engraving with hand-printed text.
Samples of his work are in public collections in San Juan, New York, Boston, Newark, New Jersey, Bogotá, and other cities throughout the world.
Nathan Budoff Mc Kiben was born and grew up in Massachusetts. He attended the Museum of Fine Arts School in Boston, and after a stay of one year in Madrid, completed a bachelor’s degree in fine arts at the University of Massachusetts. Subsequently, he moved to New York, and exhibited his work at several East Village galleries, before pursuing a master’s degree at the Art Institute of Chicago. He was invited to show his work at several galleries, such as the Union League Club of Chicago, while studying for his master’s. In 1993-94, Budoff earned a Fulbright scholarship that allowed him to move with his wife to Bogotá, Colombia. At present he is a Puerto Rico resident and a Humanities professor at the University of Puerto Rico in Río Piedras.
In addition to painting, his interest has turned to books in recent years. Budoff has translated four texts from Spanish into English, and these have been published in the United States. He has also been involved in the production of three artist books, combining engraving with hand-printed text.
Samples of his work are in public collections in San Juan, New York, Boston, Newark, New Jersey, Bogotá, and other cities throughout the world.