Ego, a writer’s engine

In the course of 40 years, Spanish journalist and editor Juan Cruz has found that “passion and vocation” move writers, but what “moves them most of all are their egos,” the theme of his new book “Egos Revueltos” (Scrambled Egos), because “envy is one of the great defects of the literary world.”

In his role as editor, Juan Cruz has encountered egos of every kind, but perhaps “the biggest” he found was that of Cela, Nobel laureate for literature, “because he had no one to put him down, everyone around him constantly flattered him, he would laugh a thank-you in reply and loved every minute of it.”

Nonetheless, the author of “La Colmena” (The Hive) was “a very lonely man and much more sentimental and vulnerable than he appeared. He was timid and overcame his timidity with arrogance. But it wasn’t a vacuum-packed arrogance, because he was a great writer,” Cruz said.

Another who had “a very abundant ego” was Octavio Paz. “Paz was not a humble man, nor did he think it appropriate to hide his greatness behind false modesty.” He spoke “with the confidence of an authority” and his immense culture and wisdom were undeniable, but “he had a decided tendency to believe that there were few like him in the history of the 20th century.”

Uruguayan writer Mario Benedetti was thought of as modest, but he had “an irritable ego: it remained suspended until some spark made it blaze.” MORE

Aztec Literary Masterpiece

“Two literary pieces written in Nahuatl and attributed to Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, which have been translated by experts, preserve the Indian cult of mountains in a disguised language, ethnohistory specialist Margarita Loera said.

The literary collection Mercurio Encomiastico, which includes the two texts by Sor Juana and others by 16 Indian chiefs of the 17th and 18th centuries, was translated from Nahuatl to Spanish by experts from the National Institute of Anthropology and History, or INAH, with the help of native speakers of that language, Loera said in a statement.

Juana Ines de Asbaje y Ramirez de Santillana, known as Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, lived from 1648-1695 and entered the convent to pursue her vocation as poet, writer and playwright. She was called the 10th Muse and the Phoenix of America.

“The introduction to a play attributable to Sor Juana, but above all the literary pieces by native chieftains, reveal a pantheistic invocation of the forces of nature,” Loera said.

One of the oldest references to the myth of the “love between volcanoes,” of pre-Columbian origin, tells of the “relationship” between the Iztaccihuatl (Sleeping Woman) Volcano and Cerro Venacho mountain, both in central Mexico, Loera said.

What is most noteworthy about the transcript of the literary collection is the glimpse it give us of a language full of cultural disguises used by Indian leaders at the time to conceal the cult of mountains that they wished to preserve.” MORE

The Intimate Diary of Frida Kahlo

“The intimate diary of Frida Kahlo is really no such thing – rather it is a literary self-portrait comparable in quality to the pictures the artist painted of herself, an Italian researcher told Efe.

The specialist in intimate literature Cristina Secci, a native of Cagliari, Italy, presented Saturday in Mexico City a study of the literary genre to which Kahlo’s diary belongs.

“An intimate diary is so personal that you hide it in the bottom drawer. But Frida didn’t. She read certain parts to her guests and friends, she allowed herself to be photographed with it and even gave away pages to her friends, so they say,” she said in an interview.

The diary was written during the last 10 years of Frida’s life, but even so contains few dates, an unusual trait in writings like this.

Secci said that when the reader opens any “intimate diary,” he or she expects to find such elements as love affairs, dreams, sufferings and betrayals.

Frida (1907-1954) included all that but also included her thoughts on politics, art, poetry and other subjects.” MORE

Dangerous Liaison

There is this place in San Miguel de Allende where some dozen cats and twice as many pigeons live on same rooftop and in perfect harmony, at least during the heat of the day. What happens at night is anybody’s guess…

Ancient Literary Treasure

Literary critics, cultural scholars and aficionados of the Mayans, the only fully literate people of the pre-Columbian Americas, have lined up to call the first fully illustrated survey of two millennia of Mayan texts assembled by award-winning scholar Dennis Tedlock, “stunning,” “astounding,” “groundbreaking” and “literally breathtaking.” [...]

His most notable accomplishment is that he establishes for the first time that two millennia of Mayan writings produced in various writing systems and media — from stone glyphs and paper documents produced in the post-Columbian Roman alphabet — constitute a single literary history and tradition.

Tedlock’s application of a literary designation to stone-carved Mayan glyphs is undoubtedly his most important and emphatic claim he makes and it is one he supports with scholarship of sweeping scope.

He makes the case that hieroglyphic texts represent a visible (not oral) literature that originated long before Old English was born, and centuries before Europeans came to the Americas. This has not been understood, he says, because while there has been much progress in the glyphs’ decipherment, an appreciation of their literary value has lagged behind. MORE

Ego, a writer’s engine

In the course of 40 years, Spanish journalist and editor Juan Cruz has found that “passion and vocation” move writers, but what “moves them most of all are their egos,” the theme of his new book “Egos Revueltos” (Scrambled Egos), because “envy is one of the great defects of the literary world.”

In his role as editor, Juan Cruz has encountered egos of every kind, but perhaps “the biggest” he found was that of Cela, Nobel laureate for literature, “because he had no one to put him down, everyone around him constantly flattered him, he would laugh a thank-you in reply and loved every minute of it.”

Nonetheless, the author of “La Colmena” (The Hive) was “a very lonely man and much more sentimental and vulnerable than he appeared. He was timid and overcame his timidity with arrogance. But it wasn’t a vacuum-packed arrogance, because he was a great writer,” Cruz said.

Another who had “a very abundant ego” was Octavio Paz. “Paz was not a humble man, nor did he think it appropriate to hide his greatness behind false modesty.” He spoke “with the confidence of an authority” and his immense culture and wisdom were undeniable, but “he had a decided tendency to believe that there were few like him in the history of the 20th century.”

Uruguayan writer Mario Benedetti was thought of as modest, but he had “an irritable ego: it remained suspended until some spark made it blaze.” MORE

Walmartization of Literature

Another step toward Walmartization of literature:

“The Faber Academy Toronto, slated to open in October, will offer a selection of long and short fiction and poetry courses and employ notable Canadian writers as instructors.

Faber hasn’t yet confirmed either avenue or course list for Toronto, but Keogh said they plan to keep to the European tradition of offering “unique literary experiences in inspired, independent settings.” The Faber Academy will join other creative writing classes in the city, such as the popular programs at Humber College and the University of Toronto.” source

Here’s a tip for a quick way to become published: take any “creative” writing course. You will write exactly the kind of book expected and understood by literary agents and editors who took a similar course. Do it if your only goal is to become published, and you don’t mind falling into oblivion amongst a plethora of clones, or don’t expect to be added to literary canon. For the latter, you have to break the rules.

Are literary awards justified?

Some people feel that the newest literary award, the Tagore Samsung Literary Award is more about the corporate giant than about literature, but what about literary prizes awarded by one’s peers?

“Let us readers and authors take a look at the books that have won literary awards these past few years. Writing about these books’ merits and demerits, and of writing standards in general, one journalist said these works did not qualify to go beyond “the fundamental phase of initial screening”.

Reading through these award-winning books, one wonders how they made it to the top. One finds no substance, no literary value of any kind. Also, there seems to be a total disregard for style and grammar, and scant regard for literary theory.

We see the use of coarse and crude words and phrases that are totally inappropriate for books of any genre. Peppered with crudities, these books are unreadable and drag literature down to its lowest depth.

Most book awards trigger controversy involving money, publishers and cartels. Take a look at the book awards scenario. Prize-winning authors become judges, judges become authors. Who helps whom? Names seem to matter more than writing skills.” MORE

Whom are you wearing?

Now, when asked Whom are you wearing today? you can answer: Gabriel García Márquez:

“The exhibition entitled “20 suits for Europe. Designers converse with literature” is the creative result of twenty designers from Spain, Belgium and Hungary being inspired by the works of other Spanish, Belgian and Hungarian writers and poets.

This multidisciplinary and transnational context gives the exhibition an additional artistic element, as well as a marked European flavour, providing a metaphor for the constant exchange experienced by Europe’s citizens and its cultural diversity.

The creative exhibits of “20 suits for Europe” are from twenty designers: twelve Spanish, four Belgian and four Hungarian. They were commissioned to ‘dress’ the prose and poetry of another twenty Belgian, Hungarian and Spanish writers in an initiative that goes beyond fashion and literature. It is a clear example of the dialogue between the arts that defines today’s society.” MORE

Literary Carnival

World’s most famous Carnival kicks off on a literary note:

The world of Don Quixote was recreated in Rio de Janeiro’s Sambadrome by the União da Ilha samba school, which opened the parades with representations of Miguel de Cervantes’ masterpiece.

União da Ilha (Union of the Island) led off with a parade entitled “Don Quixote of La Mancha – the gentleman of impossible dreams” as its entry for the Carnival title.

“Don Quixote is enchanting for the madness of fighting for ideals that reason has no part of,” the artistic director of União da Ilha, Rosa Magalhaes, said in explanation of their chosen theme. MORE