Beyond the Baths of Stars: A Literary Reimagining of Homer's "The Odyssey" - Softcover

Rancy, Schneider K.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0063443503 ISBN 13: 9780063443501

Publisher: Amistad, 2027

Synopsis

A dazzling literary debut that reimagines The Odyssey and asks what power do we have to control our own fate when destiny feels pre-determined and the systems of the world are broken?

"Layers of storytelling run deep in BEYOND THE BATHS OF STARS. Distinctly Diasporic in breadth, Rancy poetically explores the heavy expectations placed on first generation children and the painful in-between-ness with which they must contend. Brave in its honesty and vulnerability, a wonderful debut." — Erin E. Adams, author of JACKAL and ONE OF YOU

Eurick Ulysse is irrevocably trapped: by poverty, by class, and by his immigrant parents’ expectations. Disillusioned by dead-end jobs, unaffordable college aspirations, and the doldrums of his South Florida hood, he resolves to piss his life away getting drunk with his friends on the beach. But the night Eurick drags a delirious and half-drowned Ana Marķa Cortez out of the sea, everything changes.

Carefree, unconventional, and well-to-do, Ana comes from another world. She invites Eurick and his friends out on a wild joyride through the Miami streets, a night replete with casino runs, boat thefts, and strange surreal encounters. Soon, Eurick finds himself rebelling against every constraint that’s ever held him back. It isn’t long before he realizes just how trapped he is, growing more and more desperate to do whatever it takes to escape.

Will one night of freedom allow Eurick to see another kind of life for himself? Or will it show him a future that remains forever out of reach?

"Beyond The Baths of Stars is refreshing, cool, and young, but at no point does it forsake its poetry, lyrical achievement and experimental quality. Schneider K. Rancy is a potent new voice, and a rightful heir to the traditions he inhabits." — Julia Kornberg, author of Berlin Atomized

About this title

About the Author

Schneider K. Rancy is a Pushcart Prize-nominated writer born to Haitian immigrants in South Florida. He is a graduate of Columbia University, where he earned a BA in English and Comparative Literature and Biology. His poetry has been published in Apogee, The Adirondack Review, The Seventh Wave, Moko Magazine, and elsewhere. His debut full-length poetry collection, Dreams of Diaspora, received praise from National Book Award Finalist Desiree C. Bailey. He is also the author of a poetry chapbook, Self-Portrait in Hospital as Camus. In his spare time, he is a surgical resident in Manhattan. Visit his website www.skrancy.com.

Edition details

• Publisher: Amistad
• Publication date: 2027
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0063443503
• ISBN 13: 9780063443501
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288