We present here two short stories by Cristina Rivera Garza, a creative, prolific, and powerful voice that straddles both the United States and the Hispanic world. “Correr con suerte”—published here as “Running With Luck”—includes a Woman Vampire, a playful reflection on words, and an observation that could refer to love: “A fluttering of wings. Blows that didn't hurt. Confusion”, while the description of a woman's broken arm, bandaged neck, and scratched and bruised face hints at something much darker—gender-based violence. “El perfil de él” (“His Profile”) is one of four stories with the same female protagonist, an unnamed police detective, included in Rivera Garza’s short story collection La frontera más distante (2008). The dark and dank alleyways of the Most-Ancient-City produce feelings of suffocation and conjure up environmental degradation. Yet, at the tale’s heart is a love story that transcends prejudice and social class. [Adapted from the introduction written by the translator, Francisca González Arias]
