Rendered in a variety of registers, this collection of short stories by Venezuelan author Juan Carlos Méndez Guédez ranges from stark realism and poetic interludes, to forays into the fantastic, a nod to noir, and surprising flashes of humor. Titled after his late mother’s phone number, 69 38 78 is divided into three parts, each corresponding to a distinct space: the territory of childhood and adolescence, the mythical realm of the sacred Montaña de Sorte in Venezuela, and the European landscape of adulthood and migration. These perspectives converge on a shared vision: narration as an act of tenderness, as a quest to preserve the fleeting memories of individuals who refuse to be consumed by oblivion and the passage of time. A comprehensive exploration of one of the most captivating literary voices in contemporary Latin America.
Price: $12.00
Pages: 150
Publisher: Sundial House
Imprint: Sundial House
Series: Moriviví: Caribbean Voices in Translation
Publication Date:
01 October 2026
Trim Size: 7.00 X 5.00 in
ISBN: 9798990322486
Format: Paperback
BISACs:
FICTION / Short Stories (single author), FICTION / Cultural Heritage, FICTION / Diversity & Multicultural, FICTION / Family Life / General
Juan Carlos Méndez Guédez (Barquisimeto, Venezuela, 1967) As a short story writer, he is featured prominently in leading anthologies of contemporary Spanish-language short fiction. Among his prior story collections are En las ruinas (Tiflos Prize 2024), La diosa de agua, Ideogramas, El Vals de Amoreira, and Hasta luego, Mister Salinger. He is also a novelist and some of his published titles are: Los maletines (Briefcases from Caracas), La ola detenida, El baile de Madame Kalalú, Arena Negra, and Una tarde con campanas, among others. His work has been translated into English, French, Galician, and Georgian. Juan Carlos holds a PhD in Latin American literature from the University of Salamanca and lives in Madrid.
Daniela Ordóñez Delgado is a writer from Colombia who lives in New York City, where she is pursuing an MFA in Writing at Columbia University. She specializes in fiction and literary translation.
