Unity, Volume 1: A Magical Realism Anthology

by María J. Estrada, Virtual Voice (Narrator), Priti J

Enter the world of magical realism in this anthology of modern tales, poems, and art. Immerse yourself into worlds where demons ride the subway, gods work at food pantries, characters travel through time, creatures vent their frustration, ghosts befriend children, folktales come to life, and more. The boundary between the real and magical becomes an interwoven tapestry of wonder for 50 of the best contemporary fiction writers, poets, and artists. In its breadth and variety, this magical realism anthology is like no other.


"Unity Volume 1: A Magical Realism Anthology is a collection of overtly varied short stories and poems from diverse voices. What unites them, however, is a deep visceral nature. Whether it be grief, horror, or romance, this body of work has led me a reader, enough to become an 'insider' to be able to smell the pungent air in the rain; to become the beloved; to feel the horror in the bones or to become enmeshed with the terrible pain. In my view, it's called powerful storytelling ability, where every tear, drops to tell a story, and every verse sings a poetry recital." --Mehreen Ahmed, Moirae

Genres: Fiction, Magical Realism

Audible Audio

First published November 27, 2020

About the author

MARIA J. ESTRADA is an English college professor of Composition, Literature, and her favorite, Creative Writing. She grew up in the desert outside of Yuma, Arizona in the real Barrio de Los Locos, a barrio comprised of new Mexican immigrants and first-generation Chicanos. Drawing from this setting and experiences, she writes like a loca every minute she can—all while magically balancing her work and family obligations. She lives in Chicago’s south side with her wonderfully supportive husband, two remarkable children, and a menagerie of animals. You can learn more about her other books and writing happenings at barrioblues.com and barriobluespress.com.

Reviews

[Mehreen Ahmed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unity Volume 1: A Magical Realism Anthology is a collection of overtly varied short stories and poems from diverse voices. What unites them, however, is a deep visceral nature. Whether it be grief, horror, or romance, this body of work has led me a reader, enough to become an 'insider' to be able to smell the pungent air in the rain; to become the beloved; to feel the horror in the bones or to become enmeshed with the terrible pain. In my view, it's called powerful storytelling ability, where every tear, drops to tell a story, and every verse sings a poetry recital.

[Priti J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great art, poetry, and short stories. It is rare for an anthology to contain all three forms within one volume, and even more difficult to pull it off, I would presume. But Unity does that, with a great amount of success. The theme is the binding factor and the contributions segue seamlessly throughout the volume, making it thoroughly enjoyable. It is difficult to pin down one as a favourite, as each one is unique insofar the glimpse they offer into the contributors imagination and understanding of the genre. My congratulations to the editorial team for putting together, what is - a diverse offering of thoroughly entertaining and insightful treat unto the senses. And the charity chosen to donate the sales proceedings to "Doctors Without Borders" couldn't be more apt. Unity celebrates diversity. Kudos!

[Shawn M Klimek · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains poems, artwork, and short stories. Besides personally contributing one poem and one drawing to this book, I also helped with a fraction of the editing. For example, the story "Tub Hussars", by Hungarian writer, ZOLTÁN KOMOR, was submitted only roughly translated into English. With the help of cover artist (and featured artist) Norbert Somosi*--who luckily speaks Hungarian in addition to English and his native Romanian, we were able to refine the story expertly by using a three-way text conversation with Zoltan, confirming his artistic intentions with respect to metaphors and idioms. This story (first published in an earlier version here http://calibanonline.com/pdfs/Caliban...) is rife with surrealist imagery, which is bound to make a translator go "huh?" But his masterfully bizarre story read smoothly in English thanks to our painstaking editorial collaboration.
*(Norbert Somosi was the brilliant illustrator who collaborated with me on our fantasy poetry book, "Hungry Thing").

[P.C. Darkcliff · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was so much fun to read this anthology, for it features artists from around the world, and they all have a unique take on the genre of magical realism. Unity is a collection of short stories, poems, and even illustrations, all beautifully packaged and presented, and there's plenty for every taste. Since all proceeds go to Doctors Without Borders, you can not only enjoy a superb read, but also the feeling that your purchase makes a difference.

[RG Halleck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a contributor to this beautiful anthology. If you're drawn to magical realism, you'll want to read this book.

[Panni Loh Artist]

I have a short story 'Artist Sketches' in this book, but there are some other great short stories and poems in the book that transport the reader around the globe, into other cultures and other worlds.