"La Cuadra is simply the best English-language magazine of cultural commentary, political analysis, creative non-fiction, reportage, philosophical rumination and scatology that one can find in Guatemala." Rocco Dooley, Jr.
La Cuadra magazine that has been in print in Antigua, Guatemala since co-publishers Michael Tallon and John Rexer railed at the world over a bottle of mezcal eight years ago, bemoaning the fact that most magazines up north had become timorous, tiny things, and as the dawn light hit the door frame of the bar, they promised one another to write something unafraid themselves.
Nearly a decade later, the're still at it.
This issue features the return of the Surly Bartender after a few months hiatus, and he's in rare form. Fueling his anger this time around are the ignorant bastards who are still, after so damn many decades of struggle, using their religion as a cover for their intolerance. Read all about it in "Outing the Christian Bigots."
Also returning this issue is Bill McGowan with two tales: one a rumination on tragic and unexpected events that transpired in the bookstore that stands as the office for La Cuadra Magazine, Dyslexia Books; the other a hilarious retelling of the time he got arrested for disrupting the United States Senate while protesting the Vietnam War.
James R. Tallon, Jr., an insider in the world of health care reform in the United States, continues his running series on the Affordable Care Act as it manifests in 2014. The skinny? No matter what challenges are still to be faced in the coming years, the health care insurance profile of the entire country changed radically on January 1, 2014, and despite all the talk of repeal, reform or remove, those changes are here to stay. Get the real dope about what is happening and shut some folks up at your next cocktail party or barroom brawl.
Luis Pinto, the artist of the month, is a Mexican-born, Guatemala-residing painter and digital media master. His work is at once witty, biting and enigmatic. Check out the image on the cover of the magazine. While stunning at first, if only for the colors, there's a story in there about the oppression and objectification of Mayan women in this part of the world. As we say down here in Guatemala, that stuff is muy cool!
Our January / February issue also features a beauty from our poet-in-residence, Michael Chrisman. Michael's "Sometimes You Have To See The World" is a selection from his collection,"Little Stories, New Poems by Michael Chrisman," which should be available for purchase on this site, as well.
As a special feature of this e-zine, we're also going to run the entire series of "The Adventures of Pissy Jesus" that are available to date. These stories, written by Eddie, Jesus' business manager, have been culled from a recently discovered new Gospel that had been violently suppressed by the Council of Nicea on account of its portrayal of Jesus Christ as a rather short-tempered, sharp-tongued man not entirely sure about that whole crucifixion thing. We stand by its utter authenticity.
For good measure, we're also going to toss in a story from some time ago by Michael Tallon, as he recounts the dramatic transformations of a group his students, once an awkward collective of Refusenik Jews from the former Soviet Union and now part of the beating heart of Brooklyn.
All in all, it's one hell of an issue and we hope you come back for more.
Enjoy!
Mike and John
