Books, Stories & Oddities
A murder, a Cuasi-suicide, a misoginist; but also life-changing encounters, hope, redemption, humor — a whole kaleidoscope of human action and emotion that portrays us as neither angels nor demons. Just men and women trying to find our way.
Buenos Aires, 2024
It was the year of the pandemic, and with time on my hands, I returned to my first love: the short story (or rather, the longish short story).
“Ni Tan Ángeles” is a study in human nature that began in 2012, as stories saved on my computer—tales I later dusted off and polished. Then came other stories, born of the pandemic and the electronic music I had fallen back in love with.
I assembled the book over a weekend in 2020, writing the missing stories (a gambler’s lucky streak) and editing the ones I already had. In 2023, I wrote the remaining stories from Buenos Aires and worked with the best editor in Argentina (and I mean that sincerely).
And finally, this tiny piece of soul (which I’m proud of) was birthed.
Happy Lee Del Canto has spent the larger part of her life writing. She’s been awarded second place in four major Chilean short fiction contests (Embajada de Canada 1993, DUOC-UC 1995, 1996 and Intendencia de Santiago 2005). Fluent in both English and Spanish, she feels comfortable writing in both languages.
She currently resides in Buenos Aires.
Books
I like to write about folks in strange or borderline situations and how they move forward. Everything mysterious, everything grace-filled.
In my own words…
I wrote my first short story at the age of seven. Then came others that won school prizes, drew sighs from friends, and earned second-place in four national short story competitions.
I won’t lie—writing isn’t easy when you know you won’t make a living out of it. Bolaño died in poverty, so what more could one aspire to?
But one writes for the sake of writing—for the pleasure of creating something beautiful, something you look at on the screen and say, with satisfaction, “I created this, and it’s good, it’s lovely.”
You write to move the reader, to bring them joy, to stir something within or simply, to share the inner world you carry with you, in the hope that another might grasp it, might somehow understand —and in so doing, we feel a little less alone.
Reviews
“The Extraordinary Death of Antonia and a Grace” is a wonderful book, with narration as exquisite as its wording and prose; enriched by beautiful imagery and rhetorical devices. The novel that shares the book’s title is a story marked by a distinct, personal authorship—excellent in every chapter, whether in the roles of the characters or the plot itself.
Chapter four is my favorite; the letter in it is, quite literally, a poem. Its content has neither been minimized nor overdone—it is just right, and the result is masterful. I had never read a letter like that before; I can imagine it spoken from the author’s own lips.
“The Unknown Sandra Águila” is a story I truly enjoyed, even though the plot (centered on the Chilean dictatorship) is a well-worn theme. Still, it holds its own thanks to the originality and creativity of its setting—television—which helps sustain the reader’s interest until the end, curiosity stirred by each unfolding event.”
Javier Groven, Poet
BA has 189 museums
Museo BAM
Alvear was born as a boulevard for the super-wealthy
Guiando por Avenida Alvear
One of the most beautiful bookstores in the world
Ateneo Gran Splendid
Colonial magic in the heart of BA
San Telmo
The city with the largest number of private palaces in the world
Alvear
The downtown lights
Puerto Madero
And finally… why write, or make art?
There are countless reasons I could list here, but I’ll be brief: writing, like all art, is about sharing a piece of your mind and heart, in the hope of kindling a reaction in another. It is the most basic human act—reaching out to others.
And that’s something truly beautiful.