Photography: Isabel Garzo. Courtesy of the author.
Elizabeth Garzo She has a degree in Journalism and has worked as head of communication, editorial coordinator and editor. She is also a writer and now she has her third novel under her arm, Daphne's room. Thank you so much your time and kindness to this interview where he tells us about her and several other topics.
Isabel Garzo—Interview
- ACTUALIDAD LITERATURA: You are the author of Daphne's room. What do you tell us about it and where did the idea come from?
ISABEL GARZO: Es one of my most intimate novels because it deals with many topics that interest me. One of them is the power of language, how choosing some words or others can greatly change the way we perceive reality. To reflect on that theme, I put the characters in a dystopian situation: a place where it is forbidden to imprint subjectivity on words, where there is a tendency towards absolute objectivity and everything that is not corroborated by other people is not real. What advantages would such an experiment have? That is the starting point of Daphne's room, although he also talks about other topics such as the love, search de our identity as individuals and the ongoing struggle with what is expected of us.
- TO THE: You can go back to that first book you read? And the first story you wrote?
IG: After the classic tales that laid the foundations for my fictional imagination, my first readings were surely the children's books of Mari-Sun, rural teacher (printed approximately 1943, which I still have and which include his ecclesiastical license and his nihil obstat signed by the censor). They were of my grandmother Aurorawho was a teacher. After that, I guess I moved on to the illustrated stories of Asterix and Obelix.
As soon as to the first thing I wrote, I don't remember exactly but I liked (and I like) a lot to draw, so the oldest stories I keep are the ones I submitted to art contests. illustrated story at school. The first story published in a joint work was The lake, who won a short story contest of the UNED; Y my first book alone was the book of stories Count to ten (2010)
- AL: A head writer? You can choose more than one and from all eras.
IG: I am more works than writers. If I try to mention my "head writers" I feel like an impostor, because I think that to have the right to mention him I should have read all his work or know everything about him. Here is an attempt to make an inevitably incomplete and random list of some books that I have particularly enjoyed: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides, moon, S Palace by Paul Auster, my dear life by Alice Munro, Your face tomorrow by Javier Marías… And I am going to mention Murakami although there is an almost universal agreement to criticize it, because it has also been a reference for me and because it deserves that some of its millions of readers recognize that we read it.
- AL: What character in a book would you have liked to meet and create?
IG: create, none. It is like asking someone "what other people's children would you like to have had?"
Know, Many. Especially those who are not contemporary, because they make me more curious. The protagonists of Soft is the night from Scott Fitzgerald, just for lounging next to them on the beach and admiring their outfit; Catherine de Wuthering Heights; Jack and Aliena de The pillars of the earth...
- AL: Any special habits or habits when it comes to writing or reading?
IG: I think I have no hobbies regarding reading. As for the writing, I always write fiction on paper. Then I digitize it. This is how I vary the support with respect to the other types of texts that I write for professional reasons, and that helps me to change the register.
Also, I think that writing on paper has many advantages. It helps me be more creative because it allows me to make connections, drawings and diagrams; It relaxes me and helps concentration.
- AL: And your preferred place and time to do it?
IG: I do both a lot when I travel. I like to read and write in places of transit such as airports, stations or subway cars.
I have preference for writing in places that I will not return to, like a quiet cove or a hotel room. I then have a feeling of a unique opportunity that I must take advantage of, as if the inspiration that I can find in those places is different from that of others.
- AL: Are there other genres that you like?
IG: As a reader, I use from time to time genders that I think I will not treat as a writer (never say never) such as humor, graphic novels, historical novels, poetry or essays.
- AL: What are you reading now? And writing?
IG: I am reading a book from a friend with whom I will share a literary gathering in a few weeks. Its titled Give me everything I have and its writer is Adrian Pinar. I combine it with the ones that were missing, Cristina Onoro, a story of humanity told from the point of view of women. More than once I have two started, like now, because I read the thickest one at home and the lightest one comes with me for a walk.
- AL: How do you think the publishing scene is and what decided you to try to publish?
IG: The question about the publishing landscape it would be better answered by an editor or an agent. I see a very small portion of the global situation. My impression is that the competition is atrocious and there is a lot of noise, so the real challenge for journalists, booksellers and publishers is to dive into this sea of proposals and manage to rescue what has value for some reason.
As a writer, twelve years ago I decided to publish a collection of stories that were not originally written for publication. Then came the three novels (The rules of oblivion, The uncommon beings y Daphne's room). All of them have started from the need to tell something more than a publication objective. That came later: if I was satisfied with the result, I would look for an allied publisher to help me share the story with those who might be interested.
The process has not been easy. As I have already said, there is a lot of noise, few resources and few opportunities. Until now, however, I have been lucky: the publishers that have published my books have treated them very well and in each of them I have managed to climb a step in my literary career.
- AL: Is the moment of crisis that we are experiencing being difficult for you or will you be able to keep something positive for future stories?
IG: The sensations that we live are always in future pages, although they appear recycled and unrecognizable. So it is inevitable which the current moment influences in future stories one way or another. But I wouldn't say that's positive. Not a million books inspired by her would make a war worthwhile.