Don Dimaio of La Plata (Akashic Urban Surreal Series)

"Arellano is that rare thing: an exceptional creative talent perfectly in tune with his own rapidly changing times."
—Robert Coover

In 2002, real-life mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, Vincent "Buddy" Cianci was convicted of extortion. This is the story of Don "Pally" Dimaio, mayor of La Plata, as his corrupt administration spirals out of control. The novel toggles between satiric adaptations of the language of Cervantes and a narrative of an American mayor’s quixotic -decline.

Robert Arellano teaches creative writing at Brown University. He is the author of Fast Eddie (Akashic, 2002), and his short fiction has appeared in the Kenyon Review and Jane. As an indie musician,Arellano has played with Will Oldham and Nick Cave.