Interview # 10: Cristina Bresser de Campos

Sincerely Art: Interview Series

Sy Albright interviews Cristina Bresser de Campos --- poet/novelist

 

SA: Latin American culture in general can be very masculine. How does a female writer rise above all of that to become a relevant voice?

CBDC:  The subjects I explore in my books are of Universal interest. My second novel, “HAND LUGGAGE” is about to be launched in English by the Canadian publisher Ricky’s Back Yard/ Czykmate Productions. In this novel, my main character, Roberta, struggles with abusive relationships, alcohol addiction in her family, love, friendship and losses. The book is about human different nature, reconnections and making up. She deals with very hard issues in a light (and sometimes even funny) way and she doesn’t give up to love and being loved. This type of humor and perspective, although being from a woman’s point of view, attracts both women and men. 

In my point of view, we, Brazilian female writers, have been conquering our space with outstanding literature. I was in Paraty last week, for FLIP 2018 (Brazilian International Literary Party) and the honored writer was Hilda Hilst, a feminist author. In the event (that lasts 4 days) the books sold and the workshops and debates from female authors surpassed the men’s.

 

SA: Better to give you a name,

 

Resign with your uncomfortable presence,

 

Getting rid of you,

 

Once attached, is impossible.

 

These lines from “Bubbly” a poem published by Ariel Chart in August 2018. Please explain more about these powerful words.

CBDC:  As I mentioned above, I use humor in my prose in a regular basis. I produced this poem one day when I stomped on a chewing gum with brand new snickers. I was so bothered with this incident and with the person who spit it on the ground that I wrote about it. Good literature can come from anywhere, any subject. If you don’t consider the title “Bubbly”, you can understand the poem according to your own experience and expectancy. That is the beauty about words. The writer can play with words in different layers. What a person reads and what this person will infer about the text will depend on her/his background.

 

SA: Portuguese is a language not as wide spread as Spanish. Is there an reluctance or actual hindrance to getting out the literary talents of writers from Brazil?

CBDC: First, I must point out that fortunately, Portuguese is being studied in some great Universities around the world, as Sorbonne, Chicago University, Cardiff University and many other important Universities in the USA, Canada, UK and some other countries in Europe.

Second, we have some magnificent Portuguese speaking writers as Machado de Assis, Carlos Drummond de Andrade, Jorge Amado in the past; Natalia Borges Polesso and Ana Paula Maia (both women, both my personal acquaintances) nowadays being worldwide translated. (Natalia’s and Ana Paula’s books have their translation in English, Spanish, German and some are going as far as Croatia and Belorussia). Besides, there are some African authors who have Portuguese as mother language that are conquering the international market such as Mia Couto and Isabela Oliveira (nowadays my favorite African/Portuguese author, her books are emotionally blunt). She took part in some events in FLIP Paraty this year and all the Brazilians there fell in love with her.

Therefore, I believe that the international scenery is changing. In Europe and in Canada, I can perceive a genuine interest about Brazilian literature. In the USA, some readers are still resistant but many others, mainly authors, artists and teachers, people who are involved with culture and literature in a broader way, are celebrating our literature – not only the prose that talks about Carnival, samba, mulatas, slaves or favelas, but the Universal literature that many Brazilian writers have been producing this last 10 years.

 

SA: I often question if a writer is using an adopted artistic philosophy or if they allow cultural currents to direct their work. What are your thoughts on how you move forward with writing?

CBDC:  I move forward by instinct. I write with my gut, my stomach and my heart. I don’t follow adopted artistic philosophy nor allow cultural currents to dictate my writing. I am honest with my feelings; I cherish my readers, and I am and I will always be an admirer of the truth. If it is true, then I am writing with my soul, I am being loyal to my readers.

 

SA:  Your work is much more strident in tone than many poets but I do not dictate any overt political agenda. What’s behind the provocative persona?

CBDC: Hahaha. There is no such a thing as a hidden agenda, or a political one. I am strident (I loved that), openhearted, and I always speak up, no matter if it is a poem, a novel or personally. I am transparent. People that read my books, my prose or even my poems can relate them with me. My main characters all have something about me with them. If it was not this way why bother writing at first place?

 

SA: Writers usually have a goal in mind with their work. For some it’s a therapy, a protest, a communion with nature or a spiritual meditation to name a few. What is your goal?

CBDC: My goal is to touch and to influence people who read my books, my prose or my poems. The most important thing is to make a difference into a person’s life, to influence somebody. If I can reach my readers and can somehow change their day for the better, or can make a tiny piece of their lives happier, then my mission is accomplished.

 

SA: Has technology changed the way you write?

CBDC: Oh, yes. “Hand Luggage”, my soon to be release novel also speaks about Internet relationships. A Canadian publisher that I never met personally will release it. Technology provide us, writers with the means to be widely read. I can’t imagine being published in an American/British/Canadian literary magazine ten or twenty years ago. It was so difficult to send texts via snail mail. Nowadays I am published in over 30 literary magazines worldwide, printed or online. Besides, I have a poem about I phone that is hilarious. We must know how to use the progress. Not the other way round.

 

SA: Please list your past and present influences.

CBDC: Machado de Assis, John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, Marian Keyes, Carlos Heitor Cony, Michel Laub, Isabel Figueiredo. I did not segregate them into Brazilians, Portuguese speaking writers or Internationals authors on purpose. I believe Literature is bigger that any nationality.