The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World
Show All Text The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World Gabriel García Márquez’s eponymous short story originally appeared in Playboy magazine many decades ago, notwithstanding its subtitle as A Tale for Children. It has long been a favourite of mine, not least because it is a fine example of Márquez’s gift for making the macabre seem magical. When I was asked by the Music in Great Irish Houses Festival to write a piece for narrator and small ensemble, I knew I wanted to use a prose text rather than (for instance) a long poem, and so this sprang to mind. The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World was commissioned by the Music in Great Irish Houses Festival with funds from the Arts Council of Ireland, and I am particularly grateful to Ciara Higgins, the Festival’s director, for asking me to write it in the first place.
Ian Wilson, September 2007 |