Sergi Bellver
22/03/2011
regular contributor to several literary magazines, also a philologist, editor and professor Fernando Clement is a rara avis in the story English, collects and interprets it in the best tradition of European narrative and remain tied to a long line of storytellers Mediterranean Anglo-Saxon. In its literature, Clement investigates the processes of memory and reminds us to cherish each moment, because he is condemned to be unique. From Barcelona answered, honestly and without artifice, to questions that are slowly drawing in this cycle, a sort of contemporary English story map.
Why the story, Fernando? What led you to combine your work as a writer in the novel to short story?
I came first to the story than the novel. It was a chance, in a contest of my old job, and a little late because I did not write any stories before the twenty-four years. As to reconcile with serial novel I do not create any change in the way of working. The vehicle of the narrative, such as poetry, essay or any literary genre, is the word. This is the tool. The only difference is the application of the techniques of each genre at the time of creation, use the rhythm of each genre and its resources. Story reader will not accept a bad start to tell or tolerate bellies in the development of the narrative as the reader's novel is more patient, allows you to develop more calmly plots and derived from the main action. Paradigm
what Juan Carlos Márquez called "Building envelope", you've paved the way for your work and without sponsors. What have meaning in your career awards to your text, such as the City of San Sebastian Kutxa or, in particular, the award of a book like Setenil Tobacconists Chiado, written and published from outside the publishing world?
The truth is that it has been. I have had no family ties, social or personal relationship with the literary and publishing world until recently. I do not feel better or more proud of it, on the contrary, would have appreciated having some link that would pave the road.
generation writers Escrow so well defined that Juan Carlos, we fogueamos during the years of training in the world of literary contests. I suppose in a first moment of affirmation as a writer is useful this way, consider a method that is "democratic" to enter the publishing world and fortunately there is a space untainted Award "cooked" in the short story. Also detracting from literary contests is a decision that must be taken at one time or another. Submit stories in a systematic way to competitions finish makes repeating story structure and themes that might like to know the jurors. Just writing stories "contesters" and can end up becoming what you write in a self-serving mantra.
How did the course of the story rise in Spain? Do you think that, sometimes, rare ecosystem editorial and media are really for the work? What do you think could and would be (and whether or not done) for the short story definitely receive attention as a literary language at the level of any other?
think it's a real surge of hope. The genus was relegated to ostracism for decades and it seems that in the last ten or twelve years has created a new awareness and interest in it. Part of the blame for this resurgence I have a number of small and medium-sized publishers that have decided definitively by the story. It is here where you really are setting the future of story, in the bid of the publishers, often vocational, by authors who were outside the focus of the public. As for the big publishers is very difficult to bet on projects of writers who have no established name. Hopefully eventually the momentum of the small force at large to risk betting but I am very skeptical about this.
As literary language applied to the tale not find differences in the other genres. Perhaps you should restrict use de grandes descripciones o de cargas que eviten un desarrollo eficaz del relato. El relato se basa generalmente en un protagonista único que debemos conocer a través de sus actos, es un personaje en plena acción y lo debe ser desde la primera línea hasta la última. Debemos dibujar al personaje por sus acciones y su pensamiento más que por nuestras descripciones. Quizá esta sea una de las principales diferencias del cuento respecto a los otros géneros.
¿Qué delata para ti a un buen cuento? ¿Cuál sería esa seña de identidad en tus mejores cuentos?
Un cuento, desde mi punto de vista, rondaría la excelencia cuando allows an end with several readings, when not only is a precise description of facts or experience. The big story should penetrate several levels in the perception of the reader, allowing it to guess various outcomes or continuations of the story, the reader should also compile their own mental journey that will lead to an end itself, open and even paradoxical.
In this sense an ideal story should reveal different meanings in each of the readers, get to connect the reader with its own reality, often subconscious or not surfaced, and getting it past time reading it. A great story has to be the revelation for the reader of its own reality, a discovery.
space and, in some ways, the journey (interior and exterior), are relevant in your books. Your novel in Barataria, The Gulf of Poets is a good example (Italy). And with the Chiado Tobacconists the question becomes evident (Portugal). How do you work this in your narrative?
try not to take on the characters in the story contexts that are too familiar to me. Hardly would bring a novel or a story in New York, Tokyo or Acapulco as I've never been there and are areas that are unknown to me and where I can not identify a landscape or a feeling. Do not tell me nothing personal, nothing outside the cliché.
In that line I believe in true Mediterranean feel of the narration, and sound somewhat richer than in the classic Anglo-Saxon, which is also transferred to the landscape. My characters tend to move better in this environment, in a landscape that I find it close and friendly.
Tell us how to live the creative process, how do you approach the journey from initial idea to the final text, how come your text. What starts the script engine in your case? Any sentence triggers the rest? Do you plan everything in advance, correcting from an initial rush or asks you each story a different strategy (none, even)?
Pay special attention to the beginnings of the stories or chapters of the novel. I try to convey truth, too forcefully. This is the time to create a climate of complicity with the reader, for some privacy. The reader has to follow the story as if he were telling a friend, be created in the first paragraphs of this climate of intimate familiarity that I have mentioned.
If this is a book of stories with a very definite thematic task is more complicated. It has to look hard a network of small stitches that hold each of the stories and relate with others. This kind of storybook to be a small ecosystem in which each of the narratives food and other clues.
On the way to work usually write flip and then correct them enough. Maybe I enjoy the process of correction rather than the writing itself. I find it a more pleasurable.
Apart from formal differences in each case, how do you know when an idea, an image or phrase will take you to write a story and not a novel?
Usually when the idea does not dissipate easily. I often point the ideas in a libretilla and then pass them to a document. If after a few weeks still comes something of that first point is a good indication that the idea had merits and may be attractive in a narrative development.
Since the beginning of this cycle repeat a question that, in a curious way, is producing two interesting groups of responses. I speak of course the story generational leap in English, a twilight zone in which, with few exceptions, veterans and youth do not seem to share references or read too much between them. Do you think our country is in a literary space blank between new and previous generations?
I openly on the need to read the classics, whether of the novel, thought or story. In my case a good part of my role models, foreign and domestic, are not of my generation, even to my century. As an example, do not think anyone has written in English with higher quality and resources in Quevedo Dreams or Life of Marcus Brutus. I love to read contemporary authors and do not think a literary career may have a firm foundation without thorough reading of the classic narrative.
As far as the twilight zone is truth in the story perhaps also because of some neglect or lack of attention on the genre was for decades.
A English publishers that specialize in that genre, Menoscuarto, published last year, the XXI Century anthology, for which Fernando Valls Gemma Pellicer selected and your work. In 2011 also participate in other joint projects, for publishers such as stairs and Books of Silence. The Gulf of Poets led you to represent Spain in the First Novel Budapest Festival and has participated in festivals like I luoghi delle parole , Italy. Because of this increased visibility, do you receive an answer of your new readers or other authors, colleagues or anthologies? Having
visibility, confess or not, is a major concern of any writer but has always been to avoid degenerating into a compulsive search for notoriety. In my case this visibility came with the award Setenil the best book of short stories published in Spain, which owe much of the good that came later. Since then the book took on another dimension and could share experiences and feelings with many readers, a fact which helped me greatly. A book that no one reads it or has no effect prevents this connection, certainly enriching.
also made me special pleasure represent Spain in the First Novel Festival as the Ministry of Culture rewarded which he considered best first novel by a English author. Competed with authors I respect and admire with excellent novels. The fact that the novel had been published as an independent editorial Barataria also made me feel very happy because in some way recognized his commitment and work.
Speaking of anthologies, are you it is difficult to write on behalf on an issue?
enough. I try to severely limit this type of work and when I have to try to enter in a deep connection with my interests, so I have the urge to write.
Custom Writing a novel would be absolutely unbearable and I would even go against the meaning of what I understand it has to be the office.
What story do you think could surprise and move more to a reader who approaches your first book Chiado Tobacconists ? Is there anything in your opinion, summarize in a more clear your personal poetic narrative?
The two stories we feel most identified are the book's title, "Tobacconists of Chiado" and "Summer of cortapichas" you can read this week's Journal of Literature . In both the protagonist is a transcript of myself and I draw on personal experiences filtered, and in some cases infected with stories heard or sensed. I think in both stories the voice is sincere, direct and may become related to the reader with the story.
not renounce the other stories in the book, much less, but I think these two stories is where I felt more strongly the need to link personal experience with literature, to find both personally and in memory, and not anecdotal or external frame, a way to develop a dialectic itself.
The unit in a storybook comes mainly from his own writing, the author's voice, although registration varies in each story. Tobacconists Chiado is a compilation of stories previously awarded and, therefore, no idea came from a previous unit, but then general aroma exudes a certain temperature narrative. What do you think of this? Do you ask a reader to a story book a conductor or seduce you (apparent or not) the anarchy?
Yes, Chiado Tobacconists includes stories ranging from 1999 to 2005 and I think there was even the way changes my feelings about what should be a story and what does not. In this case I think the only link can be found in a taste for a rich or fancy language. Jordi Gol, the editor of Parallel South, he found a sort of consistency in the apparent anarchy of the book and I think I owe him too much of the success they had afterwards. Became a collection of stories in a book of short stories.
I must say that seduce me more books in recent times where there is a unifying link between the stories. Each story must be able to function independently, must have a free reading, but also must be part of a larger puzzle, it has to create a correlation with the other stories in the book.
What interests you or you get more than one story, the emotion brought the idea contained or formal perfection? Which one seems more important in a good story?
Of all the feelings that I point out that perhaps the most value are the ideas contained in the text and formal perfection. Well I can admire a story not to develop a great story but I move a certain intellectual or aesthetic enjoyment. A story of Tabucchi in is being increasingly late would be good examples of this. If this factor of aesthetic pleasure is combined with a strong idea, a metaphor global que lleve a la apertura de una puerta hacia una reflexión personal o profunda, estaremos ante un cuento extraordinario.
En cuanto a las emociones desconfío de los relatos que encierran sorpresas o emboscadas, también de las emociones inmediatas. La búsqueda de emociones puede generar relatos tramposos o superfluos. Por poner un símil cinematográfico, buscando la emoción podríamos crear un Cinema Paradiso , de Tornatore. Si buscamos la emoción podemos acabar creando un relato afectado, lleno de trampas y de ñoñería.
Impartes clases en el Laboratorio de Escritura de Barcelona y en la UAB, entre otros centros. I play devil's advocate and ask you, do not you think that the real writer and enters the classroom as such? Have you really can teach something new in the shops, perhaps to read, edit, make screen?
I believe in the usefulness of literary workshops, provided that the teacher has enough baggage, provided you have some explaining to do and share.
I am convinced that talent is not taught, the possessor comes with it and you can develop a writing career does not depend on what can be taught in a literary workshop, but perhaps it does takes some good hills advice. I think the mission of the workshops has be to create a literary taste in the student growing in it's attention to the text, guiding and stimulating. Also in many cases can be solved tics and errors that would otherwise be difficult to be solved and would be masked by buenista criticism that could give the people around him.
Unfortunately, the writing workshops I have done enough damage to some intrusion. I think to give a workshop must have a broad literary background and not only fluently reciting a well learned agenda.
Writing stories requires special precision work and resignation. For similar reasons, reading a good demands a willingness to tell what is the reading task. Do you think the reader of short stories is, in general, a more demanding reader? Does it come from there the story might still today seem restless minority issue?
The short story is in the brevity and repetition are two factors that make it different to other genres. The story itself is nourished, grows by repeating what is written above. Also how to read a story defines it: it is usually read at once, like poetry, so it is subject to certain equity and unique story.
not think there is a specialized audience in stories, I do not think there is such a player outside critics or writers themselves by reading stories to each other to praise or get us the guts.
This week "the question of the reader" sent us an anonymous, although I had reserved a similar one for when I got the first writer born in Barcelona, \u200b\u200bin line with sterile polemics about language and recent books by writers as Juan Marse. The anonymous says (edited): "On Wikipedia there is a link to a video of yours on TV3, speaking in Catalan. Will you always write in Castilian? "
I think I will continue with Castilian. I am sorry to be so categorical. I love the Catalan language and literature (although I do not spend it for his best) and I wish I could move with sufficient fluency in it. Do not think I have the language proficiency to write in Catalan without feeling hamstrung by a thought that works unfailingly, in English. You
reader who drinks from various sources. To attest there is your work as anthologist, In the border. I racconti della letteratura megliori Chicano, the great Rolando Hinojosa, among others, and published in Italy. In addition to Italian literature also Russian, French and Portuguese have brought you a lot. And also partly Americans, of course, as Carver (Raymond, not now Leo, the protagonist of The Gulf of Poets ). What tracks and influences specific literary author (especially short stories) could trace in your own stories?
's case At the border was a custom job for an Italian publisher (Gran Vía, Milan) and I liked being able to be involved in understanding a new narrative as Chicano literature in the process of growth and recognition but already offers first-rate authors such as Hinojosa, Sandra Cisneros, Norma Elia Cantú and Miguel Méndez.
As for my references have to say that in general I have always paid more in upcoming literature authors such as Italian, Portuguese or French than in whites. Having said that highlight some influences, also of American writers, such as Salinger, Capote, Fante or Foster Wallace but who I feel may be linked Moravia, Tabucchi, Perec, Bulgakov, Eça, Lispector, Lobo Antunes, Cortázar, Barthes or Bataille. In the English I'd pick Aldecoa, Threshold, Baroja, Vila-Matas, Marias and Cela.
Which authors of stories (English, Latin or any elsewhere) seem most notable in recent years? What books about recent stories have given you greatest joys as a reader?
could quote a lot but I prefer to point out some Eloy Tizon, Menéndez Salmon Oscar Esquivias or Juan Carlos Márquez. I am also very interested in what they can publish Eduardo Halfon, Ester Garcia Llovet, Andrew Neuman, Jon Bilbao, Cristina Cerrada or Candeira Matías. I also looked very promising books Larraz Miguel Serrano and Carlos Frühbeck.
In contemporary Portuguese literature, whether or not farmers short stories, I follow Peixoto and Valter Hugo Mãe. The latter is a recent discovery.
personal obsessions What do you think that literature has become more often?
Possibly memory and its labyrinths are the focus of what I've written recently. The process that connects the everyday with the memory I think one of the major topics on which to focus attention from the literature. There is a wide field and exciting: the recreation of these memories, unfathomable memories surfaced, the deceptions of memory, the words and rediscovery of what is heard and seen ... does not mean always write about it but right now the translation of this mechanism has me very busy.
To give just an obsession, because I think I have many, I am also concerned the repetition of the forms of nature on earth, in human works in the body and any object.
Do you have a specific writing project right now?
I have a novel and a book of short stories which I hope will see light soon. The storybook is entitled Unforgettable Safaris and translate some of the concerns I have mentioned in the previous question: memory and repetition of forms.
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