Border Diptych
SKU: 53328860562

Border Diptych

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Border DiptychTranslators Note Perhaps Schopenhauer was right: I am all other men, any man is all men, Shakespeare is in some manner the miserable John Vincent Moon. By opening his debut novel with these lines borrowed from Borges, Venezuelan author Luis Mora Ballesteros foretells the central concern of his literary project: representing the universal in the particular. Here, the particular in question is the writers own Tchira State, in the rural borderland that

TranslatorÕs Note

ÒPerhaps Schopenhauer was right: I am all other men, any man is all men, Shakespeare is in some manner the miserable John Vincent Moon.Ó

By opening his debut novel with these lines borrowed from Borges, Venezuelan author Luis Mora-Ballesteros foretells the central concern of his literary project: representing the universal in the particular. Here, the particular in question is the writerÕs own T‡chira State, in the rural borderland that straddles Venezuela and Colombia. In its portrayal of this place and its people MoraÕs work exemplifies the defining themes of the twenty-first century: migration, assimilation, and the creation of new collective identities.

Diptych is a term borrowed from visual art that refers to a symmetrical composition laid out on two panels side by side; Diptych of the Border is likewise symmetrically composed. It weaves together stories of migrant families who for decades have fled endemic violence in Colombia to settle in an overlooked region of Venezuela, forming a hybrid identity unique to the area. Later in the novel, in the 2010s, we meet migrants escaping VenezuelaÕs current economic disaster, moving in the other direction to form a new diasporic community in Colombia. Diptych attempts to show how such collective identities are constructed. In the following excerpt from the novelÕs opening pages, we see a mosaic of images: new surroundings that provoke a sense of difference (ÒthereÕs no sea hereÉÓ), snapshots of the violence that drives people away (Òthe march of balaclavas and riflesÉÓ), the conditions on the ranches and sugar plantations where some will end up as migrant workers, and countless small details that lend the text an authentic sense of place.

The narrative moves loosely through space and time; events usually hinge around a shifting, expansive present tense. We meet a character and are promptly told what will happen to them months or years in the future; later in the novel we encounter them at another time and in changed circumstances, without entirely knowing what happened in between. This nonlinear temporality is characteristic of MoraÕs writing and suggestive of how trauma flattens time and distorts memory. The central plot of the novel concerns a journalist, Juan çngel, who has traveled to the borderland to write a story on a mysterious guerilla leader.
Alex Halatsis

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SKU: 53328860562

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roger mendes
Birmingham, US
★★★★★ 5
One of the best shoes
Size: 9.5, Color: Black Polished Full Grain
Outstanding. Fashionable, most comfortable and good construction. No sines of use after quite some time. Highly recommended.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2026
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xyz
Phoenix, US
★★★★★ 4
Quality shoe but with a slight squeak.
Size: 10 Wide, Color: Burgundy Polished Full Grain
Nice shoes with the classic Penny Loafer design. Fit was better than another brand I tried. Only reason not 5 starts is disappointment due to a slight squeak at times when walking.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2025
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Steven D
Charlottesville, US
★★★★★ 5
Exact item ordered, quick delivery
Size: 9.5, Color: Black Polished Full Grain
I ordered these black Cole Haan penny loafers for casual wear with jeans, khakies, and even business casual with slacks and a jacket. They've always worked perfectly for these uses. The Cole Haan version is the most versatile and still meets my sophisticated look criteria. I wear a 9 1/2 M with almost all other shoes. I have found Cole Haan to run slightly wider and slightly shorter. This fit will work with thin and no socks and a little loose in width. . I'd likely order a 10 N next time. I tend to forget this but it runs consistent with me for Cole Haan. 5 stars for the shoe and service. My bad on the slightly off fit.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2025
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Hugh62
Fort Morgan, US
★★★★★ 1
Poor quality control - maybe outlet store leftovers
Size: 11.5, Color: Burgundy Polished Full Grain
The two shoes were not the same size. They were both labeled 11 1/2 but one shoe was larger than the other and the fit was poor. I returned the first pair and ordered a replacement. This time the shoes were close to the same size but too loose and the left one has sewing issues. I've bought Johnston & Murphy for years because of the quality. These were to replace an existing pair of burgundy penny loafers that have finally worn out (even after several heal/sole replacements). That is the expected quality. I suspect Nashville Shoe Warehouse may be handling shoes that didn't measure up for the quality; more like an outlet mall than getting the J&M quality I've come to expect. Update: went to Johnston & Murphy site to buy "direct" from the manufacturer. There were several recent reviews where the shoes were long and didn't fit properly. Genesco - please step up the manufacture / crafting of these classic shoes to the level of quality they used to have.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2025
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Fabric Crazy
Houston, US
★★★★★ 5
Really nice shoes
Size: 9, Color: Black Polished Full Grain
My husband enjoys wearing these shoes. Very classy looking. They fit well. They arrived quickly. He liked them so much he ordered another pair in a different color which have worked out just as well.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2026

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