Mephisto's Waltz: Selected Short Stories

From the renowned Mexican literary master & author of the Trilogy of Memory (Deep Vellum) comes Mephisto's Waltz, bringing together the best short stories from celebrated writer Sergio Pitol's oeuvre. 

The Xavier Villaurrutia award-winning collection includes the titular story, Pitol's personal favorite. Selected by the author, each story is a glimpse into the works that first gained Pitol his status as one of the greatest living Mexican writers & showcases the evolution of his unique literary style. 

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"His literature reflects the droll & ironic constant of his observations... Pitol knew how to see others, & he managed to reconcile & reflect very different worlds." — Elena Poniatowska, author of The Heart of the Artichoke

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Sergio Pitol Demeneghi (1933-2018) was one of Mexico’s most influential and well-respected writers, born in the city of Puebla. He studied law & philosophy in Mexico City & spent many years as a cultural attaché in Mexican embassies & consulates across the globe, including Poland, Hungary, Italy, & China. He is renowned for his intellectual career in both the field of literary creation & translation, with numerous novels, stories, criticisms, & translations to his name. Pitol is an influential contemporary of the most well-known authors of the Latin American “Boom,” & began publishing his works in the 1960s.

George Henson is the author of 10 book-length translations. His translations include Cervantes Prize laureate Sergio Pitol’s Trilogy of Memory, The Heart of the Artichoke by fellow Cervantes recipient Elena Poniatowska, & Luis Jorge Boone’s Cannibal Nights. His translations have appeared variously in The Paris Review, The Literary Review, BOMB, The Guardian, Asymptote, & Flash Fiction International.