Renault 30 is a sepia-toned drive through the dusty highways of 1980’s Venezuela. Abel M. Folgar vividly portrays the country of his youth while weaving a personal narrative culled from the introduction of the automobile at the turn of the century (a Cadillac in 1904, actually), his great-granduncle’s accident, a bizarre fascination with American poet m loncar, and bonding with his father. His poems are pockmarked by the excess of oil wealth, pop culture, and the rumblings of a communism that began and went “dormant” well before he was born, returned in his early adolescence, and persists long after he left.
Published by HINCHAS Press, 2022. Available in print and digital editions.
BUY Reminiscences of youth. Painful memories. The warmth of a crowded car. The dregs of a potent hangover. Dual identities. The smell of a freshly mowed pitch. The dynamism of team sports. Promiscuity. The unyielding intolerance of previous generations. A late-night tango. The absolute beauty of football (soccer).
BUYThe national teams playing their hearts out at every World Cup since Uruguay 1930, have always fielded a set number of players and a coach, or técnico. Yago S. Cura and Abel M. Folgar, came up together in Miami discussing the victories, debacles and flat out robberies exerted at World Cups since at least ’78. They’ve been discussing the sport, World Cups and their favorite players for most of their lives but still have leagues to learn. Odas a Futbolistas is an experiment in aesthetics at the intersection of athletic speculation, stylistic preference and deep spiritual bias. It is also an extension of their lifelong learning; each ode a poetic version of studying tape. Here is their “World Cup” call-up squad of 23 plus técnico—an intimate look into the idolatry of their chosen religion fueled by heavily caffeinated sketches of some of the sport’s most notorious and well-respected players.
Paul Simon’s Violence Dreams is a mini zine I throw together from time to time. Available in person while supplies last — solely to keep that DIY spirit alive.Collaboration from Hinchas de Poesia Press with Yago S. Cura. Put together with the help of many associates at Staples on OneTwoFive and Lenox Ave.
OUT OF PRINTCollaboration with Michael Martin, edited by P. Scott Cunningham.
OUT OF PRINTAnother collab with Yago. The spiritual predecessor to Odas.
OUT OF PRINTAnother poetry zine co-authored with Yago S. Cura. Along with Bestias, many of these poems appeared in Odas.
OUT OF PRINTIt was an honor to be included in this July 2010 edition.
