Pergentino Jose was born in 1981 in a Zapotec village in the Pacific highlands of Oaxaca. He has published poetry and prose in both Zapotec and Spanish and is a member of the Sistema Nacional de Creadores de Arte, the Mexican government's prestigious fellowship program for artists and writers. Red Ants is his first book in English, and the first literary translation into English from the Sierra Zapotec.

"José is a rising star in Mexican literature, and this collection of short fiction, which examines indigenous life in the U.S.’s southern neighbor through the lens of a contemporary magic realism, should only further his acclaim. Veteran Spanish translator Bunstead... takes José’s clean, punchy lines and makes them sing—and stick with you."—John Maher, Publishers Weekly "Undoubted resonances of the stories of Kafka and Rulfo." ––Leonardo Videla"A set of short stories in which the peculiarity and the fantasy of Zapotec popular legends are brought to life by the imaginative and powerful pen of a great author in the making – what is perhaps a true breath of fresh and original air that does our national literature much good."– Mónica Maristain, Sin Embargo"These stories are situated within an imaginary (of Pergentino José's making) that is consistent from one story to the next...but it is an imaginary that is not reflected in the rest of Mexican literature. This collection is poised to become a new and encouraging contribution."– Alantl Molina, Marvin Magazine “Red Ants, Zapotec writer Pergentino José blends magical realism with the mythology of his upbringing to shine a light on the historical struggles of Mexico’s indigenous communities — and to make clear that the threats they face have not gone away….he succeeds in taking readers to a different world, one that they did not expect but will be unlikely to forget.” —Mariana Reina, Americas Quarterly