SOURCE: "Autobiographical Notes," in The New Yorker, Vol. XLVI, No. 31, September 19, 1970, pp. 40-99.

An Argentine short story writer, poet, and essayist, Borges was one of the leading figures in modern literature. His writing is often used by critics to illustrate the contemporary view of literature as a highly sophisticated game. Justifying this interpretation of Borges's works are his admitted respect for stories that are artificial inventions of art rather than realistic representations of life, his use of philosophical conceptions as a means of achieving literary effects, and his frequent variations on the writings of other authors. In the following excerpt from an essay transcribed by di Giovanni, Borges recalls his work with Bioy Casares on their collaborative writings.

One of the chief events of [my adulthood]—and of my life—was the beginning of my friendship with Adolfo Bioy Casares. We met in 1930 or 1931, when he was about...