The Museum of Eterna's Novel

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Macedonio Fernández is considered one of the greatest Argentine writers of the twentieth century. He was a close friend of Jorge Luis Borges, and Macedonio’s metaphysical and aesthetic ideas greatly influenced Borges’s generation. The mythical life of Macedonio is almost as interesting and fun as his books. Some of the stories about his life include: his campaign for president, which consisted of leaving notecards with the word “Macedonio” on them throughout Buenos Aires’ cafes; his attempt to found a utopian society, only to be thwarted by pesky mosquitoes; and his belief that he shouldn’t publish, instead allowing his work time to “age.” He passed away in 1952, and the first edition of Museo de la Novela de la Eterna was released in 1967.

Margaret Schwartz is Assistant Professor of Communication and Media Studies at Fordham University. She was a Fulbright fellow in Argentina in 2004, during which time she researched the life and work of Macedonio Fernández. In addition to translating and teaching, she is also developing a book based on her dissertation, which analyzes representations of the embalmed corpse of Eva Peron.

Adam Thirlwell’s first novel, Politics, was translated into thirty languages. In 2003, Granta chose him as one of the Best Young British Novelists. His much-praised book The Delighted States won the Somerset Maugham Award in 2008. He lives in London.