Rita Indiana with Gerardo Sámano Córdova, Featuring Yasser Tejeda | Asmodeus: A Novel

Acclaimed musical artist and author Rita Indiana joins us to discuss her supernatural noir novel Asmodeus, newly translated by Achy Obejas. She will be in conversation with fellow writer and artist Gerardo Sámano Córdova, and also perform "Rimas de Asmodeo" from the book with special musical guest, Yasser Tejeda.

La conversación se llevará a cabo en inglés, seguida de música en español. This event will take place in person and online at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library on the 7th Floor.

Asmodeus, a millennia-old demon, has inhabited Rudy, a once-legendary Dominican rock star, for decades. But in 1992, the demon’s powers begin to fade. What follows is a desperate weeklong odyssey as Asmodeus ricochets through the bodies of the inhabitants of Santo Domingo’s underworld: from Guinea, a young metalhead plotting a warehouse heist, to Mireya, the daughter of a former torturer, to other souls caught in his chaotic orbit. Each possession reveals another layer of a city still reeling from the Balaguer dictatorship. And each new host engenders a surprising tenderness in the demon.

From acclaimed musical artist and author Rita Indiana, Asmodeus is written in urgent prose punctuated by original décimas, ten-line rhyming poems drawing from Latin American musical and oral tradition. Indiana weaves together Dominican heavy metal, black magic, and political trauma to create a supernatural noir, riotous thriller, and searing portrait of a nation grappling with its complicated past.

To join the event in person | Doors will open 30 minutes before the program begins. For free events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance, but registration does not guarantee admission. All registered seats are released shortly before start time, and seats may become available at that time. A standby line will form 30 minutes before the program.

To view the livestream | Whether you're attending in person or online, you must register with your email address. You will need a device with audio and/or video and an internet/cellular connection to view the livestream.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Rita Indiana is a Dominican-born writer, composer, and Global Distinguished Professor at New York University. She has written six novels including Tentacle, winner of the Grand Prize of the Association of Caribbean Writers. Her work has been translated into multiple languages. She is also a driving force in experimental Caribbean popular music. Her writing has appeared in The Boston Globe, Granta, El País, and VICE. She lives in New York City.

Gerardo Sámano Córdova is a writer and artist from Mexico City living in Brooklyn. He is the author of the bestselling and critically acclaimed novel, Monstrilio, and the forthcoming novel Imps! He is currently Writer in Residence at Fordham University. Gerardo has also been known to draw little creatures.

With Special Musical Guest

Yasser Tejeda, award-winning Dominican composer, guitarist, vocalist, actor, and producer, His debut album, Mesclanza, was dubbed one of the 100 essential recordings of Dominican music by the Dominican National Association of Art Writers (Acroarte). Since then, Yasser's music has captivated audiences globally.

Rita Indiana at NYPL

• Borrow: NYPL Catalog


• This event will also include signing and sales of the book.

Don't have a New York Public Library card? Get one here!

ACCESSIBILITY NOTES

In-Person

• Assistive listening devices and/or hearing loops are available at the venue.


• ASL interpretation and real-time captioning (CART) are available upon request. Please submit your request via this form or contact SNFL at least two weeks in advance.


• This venue is fully accessible to wheelchairs.

Livestream

• ASL interpretation and real-time captioning (CART) also available (see previous).


• Captions and a transcript will be provided.

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All programs are subject to change or cancellation. All programs are subject to recording and photography.

This event is co-sponsored by the New York City International Book Fair (FILNYC), an initiative of the CUNY Mexican Studies Institute at Lehman College. Learn more at filnyc.org.

The 7 Stories Up Series at SNFL is made possible by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).