On the occasion of the presentation of the book Motorcycles & Bison Grass edited for the first time in Spain by Appaloosa Publisher, Actualidad Literatura was able to interview the author, Drew Hayden Taylor. And this magnificent novel is a best-seller in Canada, in 2010 it was a finalist for the prestigious Governor General's Literary Awards and promises to be very successful in Spain.
Drew hayden taylorAn Ojibwa from the Native People of Curve Lake, Canada, he has traveled countless places and writes about his Aboriginal perspective. Series scriptwriter, journalist, columinist, humorist, novelist and short story writer, this author has a wide literary career in which titles such as me funny (2006) and The Night Wanderer: A Native Gothic Novel (2007) and i sexy (2008)
The presentation of the book took place in Madrid, in the bookstore specialized in travel literature The Invisible City. This writer explained to us with great enthusiasm what his literary concerns are, what motivates him to write novels and his great predilection for humor. And as native literature tends to present somewhat dramatic overtones, the special contribution of this writer is their good sense of humor and their eagerness to talk about life and their culture but with a much more cheerful tone.
Question: What places have you traveled to?
Answer: I have been in approximately 18 countries, announcing the gospel of native literature. I've been to every possible place, from India and China to Finland and Germany.
P: If you could choose to go anywhere in this world (that you don't know yet), which would you prefer?
R: Africa and South America.
P: You are known for your many talents: writer, comedian, journalist, playwright. How are these things related to each other? Do you think that all of them are part of the same skill or that they are different?
R: I see myself as a contemporary storyteller. Whether I am writing a script for TV, a drama or a novel. For me all of this boils down to telling a good story to whoever might be listening or reading. I like to say that we have started from telling stories around a campfire to telling them around a stage or a screen. Of course, the actual practice of writing in these different genres requires, metaphorically, to exercise different muscles, but for me everything is relatively the same. And besides, I don't see myself as a comedian because I don't do performances - I only did it once and it was fantastic. I prefer to see myself as a humorist, that is more like a writer who writes comedies.
P: Do you think that stories and comedy performances are similar in that both must have a surprise factor, as opposed to, for example, novels or columns? What you like more?
R: Comedy yes, but short stories not necessarily. I have read many short stories that do not have a surprising ending or climax, but only show everyday scenes from life. Instead, comedy does need that sudden change; it should take a new and different approach to something that you want to get noticed. It is almost like a mathematical formula: A + B equals D. The basic structure of all Western literature is that your protagonist has a goal and, for most of the story, he must overcome a series of obstacles to achieve or not its objective. That is usually the hook at the end: how they achieve the goal or how they fail to try. And it's hard to say what my favorite genre is. Obviously, I wouldn't write in all of these styles if I didn't enjoy them. However, I believe that theater is the area that transformed me into an artist. The others I like as well, but in Canada I am known, mainly, as a playwright.
P: Why and when did you start writing?
R: My first real sale was a series The Beachcombers, a series of adventures lasting 30 minutes. A third of the cast was native, and it happened when I was researching to write a magazine article about adapting native stories for television and film. I interviewed an editor and I don't know if it was me or her, but one of them suggested submitting some stories just to test. I did it just for fun, and they bought it for me. I wrote it ... and that's how it all started.
P: What attracts you the most about literature?
R: Difficult question. How does literature attract me? I think it attracts me because it takes me to exotic places that I may never be able to visit, characters that I will never be able to read, and situations in which, for better or worse, I will never be involved. It is a possibility to live other lives and do interesting things. So I like stories that focus on both the characters and the plot.
P: Your favorite book?
R: I have no idea. I don't like to think of favorites. I am a huge fan of Tom King, Stephen King, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. and many more. What frustrates me is that there are undoubtedly other books that I would probably love that I haven't found yet. The search is part of the fun.
P: Writer who do you consider to have influenced your literary life the most?
R: I believe that since I was the "Writer in Residence" at Native Earth Performing Arts, Canada's first Native Theater company, during the Tomson Highway era, he would be one of the most influential to me. But there are also Tom King, O'Henry and O'Neill.
P: How does your culture influence your literature? Do you think there are differences with the western way of writing?
R: As I said in a previous question, I see myself as a contemporary storyteller. I grew up listening to stories and I wanted to do them. However, as a reader, I had all those stories from far away that came to my community at Curve Lake, so I wanted to bring the stories from my native community to the whole world. The main difference between native storytelling and Western dramatic structure is the concept of the central character. Most Western novels and plays have a single protagonist, with a set of secondary characters around him. In most, but not all, native stories, it is the community that is the star and there may or may not be a central character. A person is not more important than the village or the community.
P: Are you familiar with the Spanish literary scene? Have you read any current Spanish works?
R: Unfortunately not. There have not been many Spanish writers who have come to my reserve. I think I should become more familiar with Spanish writers, without a doubt.
P: The cover of your book i sexy It is frankly hilarious, because it is a great parody of the best-sellers of "soft" eroticism ("porn for moms"), which usually show scantily clad girls who are trapped in his arms by a strong, handsome but rude man . What do you think about novels of this type or Fifty Shades of Grey?
R: I read a couple of those books while researching for that book essay. I know his style and content, but not that of Fifty Shades of Grey, although I have always been surprised by that romantic interest in culture and native peoples. It is true that we are very sexy, but it is quite silly. Compile Me sexy It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot from the perspectives of other writers.
P: What do you think about the current literary scene?
R: This time shows interesting news and is really exciting. With the influence of the internet and the publishing possibilities made available through this medium (for example, blogging and online publishing), who knows where things will go in the next ten or twenty years! I think people, despite the format, will always be interested in a good story. And with the opening of doors in less developed countries and other cultures, literature can only become richer and more interesting.
P: What about you in the characters of Motorcycles and Bison Grass?
R: There is something of me in all my stories, but they are not autobiographical. It's strange, because some friends of mine are convinced that I include myself in everything I write, but I don't agree. He was a bit like Virgil growing up. Lillian was like my grandmother and like other Elders I met. I think I tried to infuse some of my silliness and sparkle in John and some more of my more introspective ideas in Wayne. But I do want a 1953 Indian Chief motorcycle.
P: Do you think you have already written your masterpiece?
R: Never. The only masterpiece I will ever write will always be the next book I plan to write.
P: What is your next project?
R: I have a couple of projects. I'm writing the script and lyrics for a fantastic musical for the Charlettetown Festival on Prince Edward Island. My 24th book is due to be published next month, a graphic novel of my Novel The night wanderer, about a native vampire. And I have a new play coming out next year called God and the indian. I'm also planning to do something that combines native peoples and sci-fi problems. And maybe a new novel.
More information - Alice Munro, 2013 Nobel Prize Winner