In the first biography of this novelist and poet, journalist Monica Maristain tracks Roberto Bolano from his childhood in Chile to his youth in Mexico and his early infatuation with literature, to his beginnings as a poet, and to the stardom that came with the publication of The Savage Detectives (1998) and 2666 (2004). She interviewed his family and friends, talking to some on the record for the first time. Her years of research show through as the text is rich with details about his life, reflecting her admiration for both his work and the writer himself.

Author Biography

MONICA MARISTAIN is an editor, journalist, and poet. Born in Argentina, she has lived in Mexico since 2000. She has written for various national and international media, including the Argentine newspapers "Clarin," "Pagina/12," and "La Nacion," and in 1992 she was named Argentina's Journalist of the Year for her coverage of the Barcelona Olympics. She is currently the culture editor of "SinEmbargo." Her much-cited interview with Roberto Bolano, his last interview, was published by Melville House in "Roberto Bolano: The Last Interview and Other Conversations." KIT MAUDE translated "Jorge Luis Borges: The Last Interview and Other Conversations." "From the Hardcover edition.""