Paulo da Costa's Blog, page 11
September 22, 2013
The Midwife of Torment
Florindo Ramos fell, head first, through the outhouse hole in the public gardens. First, his mother, hosed him down in the public courtyard and washed the obvious. At home, she boiled a cauldron of water for a good scrub … Continue reading →
September 7, 2013
Pleasant Troubles
A sudden, involuntary flaring of his tongue, a hideous contortion of his face; and apart from this peculiar affliction, Bonifácio Careta remained an ordinary child. The villagers believed everyone entered life with unique, God-given graces—some born to nose-picking, others to … Continue reading →
August 31, 2013
Roses, Lilacs, And Chrysanthemums – sudden fiction
As he walked through the olive grove on an auburn summer evening, Florindo Ramos foresaw his death and, in a shiver that resembled a harvest-shaken olive tree shedding its last fruit, lost his ability to speak. He endured the … Continue reading →
August 23, 2013
Flies
Foot raised on the shoe‑box, Senhor Osório sat at the entrance to the tavern enjoying the overdue shine. The question mark of his cane supported his thoughts as he rested his chin on the wrinkled knuckles clasping the wood. … Continue reading →
August 7, 2013
Atlantis – sang by Nancy Dutra
Talented Canadian singer Nancy Dutra has put to music one of my English poems from The Book of Water. Nancy has a distinctive and powerful voice that will delight any listener. Take a peek at this music video recorded under … Continue reading →
June 23, 2013
Not Written in Pencil
Arial and I weren’t bad people or nothing, just different spark plugs misfiring under the same hood. It’s like this. Arial lived for now. I lived for tomorrow’s bills. I‘m not thinking she exemplified a young case of Alzheimer’s or … Continue reading →
June 6, 2013
Beneath Thin Skin – BC Bookworld feature
In BC’s Bookworld Summer Issue: a brief blurb and mini-interview on my new book. Beneath Thin Skin Possibly B.C.’s only Angolan-born author, paulo da costa was raised in Vale de Cambra, Portugal and arrived in Canada in 1989. Having won … Continue reading →
May 23, 2013
Sharp and True – a book review by the Coastal Spectator
Collection’s stories are sharp and true May 23, 2013 The Green and Purple Skin of the World By paulo da costa Freehand Books, 208 pages, $21.95 Reviewed by Yasuko Thanh Born in Angola, raised in Portugal, paulo da costa won … Continue reading →
May 16, 2013
Nuno Júdice wins prestigious Spanish poetry prize
The jury for this year’s edition of Spain’s Queen Sofia Ibero-American Poetry Prize meets in the Royal Palace in Madrid before announcing its decision. Portugal’s Nuno Judice was named the recipient of this year’s award for a body of poetry … Continue reading →
May 10, 2013
Unhurried & Meditative – A National Post review
paulo da costa is concerned with the passage of time and its effects on generational attitudes and memories. Da costa’s writing is recondite, preferring a lyrical, almost poetic style of narration. The stories in The Green and Purple Skin of … Continue reading →
