Sitting in the comfort of his room and get his memoir explores introduce radio figures with whom he worked. I was immersed in the rebellion of his youth and lost to 76 celebrating birthdays today. He shared with me a piece of your time, your life, your longings…
How did you become a writer?
One day I went to see a play at the theater in 1960 named “Recuerdos de Tulipa” by Manuel Reguera Saumell and watching the play I suddenly said: Eh, but this I do! And indeed I did my first theater skit, “El regreso “. I went to drama seminar Osvaldo Dragun. That shaped me for both radio and television. I spent a year and left as a writer; first theater, I took a mention Casa de las Américas in 1965 with the script “It got people to the glory of the Holy Innocents” and continued to work but I was left over.
I went to clean bottles in the Materva Company, I worked in Desestañadora Cayo Cruz, then in the Fraternity Park where they made paper flowers (laughs). That was a disaster, my paper flowers were a mess because I have no manual dexterity. After the building of the Banco del Caribe in Prado. At that time, Antonio Hernández “Nico” came for me because they needed a writer in Radio Progreso. I made my first script, liked it and went on an adventure, Farenheit 451 by American writer Ray Bradbury, the poor man changed throughout the novel.
Until that is preparing now, because I imagine as prolific as you do not finish writing … writer?
Now I’m writing a “Subasta por un amor.” Yes I enjoy writing so much, if I can not think of other highly malignant ideas and cannot happen … (laughs)
With that, many original works written and adapted many?
Originals must be like 25 or 30 and at least 80 adaptations.
What do you read, how to do to feed your imagination?
There was no bigger for me than reading pleasure. I kept reading and imagining. To enter you must own you have a great imagination and dominate the dialogue.
In life there is to be recognized as one and not be over, be just as far. Give thanks to God and whatever for having come to where you are. If you happen to accomplish what you are, you become a happy being, and you have nothing to envy anyone, on the contrary, as Felix B. Caignet said “envy is a scab admiration.”
Did you know him?
Selis said Raul Felix B. Caignet wanted to meet and he took me to his house. Gave me a four leaf clover because he loved a play he was writing. It was a wonderful, as common people. Without taking a prominent place, as he had by right. Top national radio, along with other naturally, but he hit the target.
You told me about Caignet, Do you think his legacy persists in soap operas in a Cuban school?
There is a Cuban school. People have warned the writers of the radio “I do not know why you write that radio if there is nothing”; but it is in people’s hearts and memory. And you know what makes a radio play immortal? Do you know why “The right to be born” is immortal? For those who heard him, they loved him. Attached to it they felt and transmitted by oral tradition, it was while reaching around the world and is one of the most recognized outside Cuba, with due respect for Cecilia Valdez Cirilo Villaverde Cuban novels.
You had the privilege of working with Alberto Luberta, Caridad Martinez …
Sure, all of them. I remember that when I started working I had no pants and trousers Luberta gave me because I had no clothing; it was in the beginning, one of the most difficult times of the Revolution.
These actors, those directors, those people on the radio at that time. I was blessed to work with them, I was never happier. I worked with Parmenia Silva, Raúl Selis, Velazco Marta, Marta Jiménez Oropesa, Sigler Ignacio Valdez, Miriam Wed … all of them came from the capitalist radio with wonderful values: respect for what they did !, what professionalism!
Of his works, what is the dearest?
“The Song of Shanonm” was my first original novel about Ireland. Why on Ireland? Oh, there was a good reason: I was so tight it easier to write about something Cuban at the time.
What is the work that never adapt?
Which has not been written for all those that are written can adapt?
What topics would not write?
On the rape, pedophiles, low, mean and cruel that environment. Never write that I feel terrible.
Tell me about Joaquin at home. His love of family, friends…
Love is or it is not. It’s a strange feeling, ruler, dragging you, takes you to places you never thought. As you get older, remember those who are not already. And are you in your time machine, because we all have one: mind, your memories and journey with them in your past. The love of family, intrinsic, I adore the most important thing for me.
I want people to live better, but not only have a house or an elegant meal, but be at peace with oneself and with others, if you accomplish that you perform. I once did a novel called “What is not forgiven” throughout the novel and I said “but what is not forgiven?”, I suddenly came to mind: what is not forgiven not to forgive, because if you wipe your pardon, you calm down.
We talked alone in the comfort of your living; however, at times believed me in front of his friends. Silent accomplices of a dialogue that, at times, argued with himself.
A sepia light charged the atmosphere. It smelled of old papers. He managed Joaquin unwittingly revive the characters in his story. These protagonists of his novel, paper flowers plasma waves converted into the ether.
Translated by: Daysi Olano Fernandez