“The inhabitant of modern cities sees as many reflections as things, if not he sees more reflections than things, taking into account that things, as long as they have a polished surface, are covered in reflections, so it is difficult to see a thing without seeing also a reflection, or two. The large glass surfaces, which proliferate, contain a second city, a cinema of pale transparencies in motion. The cars carry fleeting lights in their bodies, from front to back, the street wet with rain has horizontal facades, advantages with light, signs. Habit makes us ignore this incessant duplication, habit and protective conditioning, since if we were all the time with our attention awake in that mirroring jungle we could become disoriented and lose our sense of reality.
On many occasions, like this one when I’m sitting in a cafe with large windows, we see everything twice, once upside down and once upside down, and that doesn’t bother us in the least.”.
The fragment is part of Various ideasof Cesar Aira, published this month by the Blatt & Ríos label. Composed of little pieces, for those diverse and scattered scenes, the book is one of the most disturbing things I have read in recent times. And when I say disturbing I mean that spark that produces the beautiful, the intelligent, what does not seek to please but to tug.
Starts a new edition of A thousand vines. A weekly reflection, an image that doubles, a repetition that insists.
1. Very late in the dayby Claire Keegan. A short, sharp, forceful book that seems to produce an accidental blow when reading, an unintended but painful effect. Like a stomp on public transportation when inertia shakes a group of unsuspecting passengers. In the short story Very late in the day (Eterna Cadencia Editora, 2024), the Irish writer Claire Keegan recovers disordered scenes of love and its ruins. Or better, that always casual and failed crossing that leads two people to become a couple. Until the collapse comes. In a few pages – very few – the author combines a succession of relentless descriptions of loving gestures, and also of intimate revenge, insecurities, anger and petty movements as the end of a relationship approaches.
When I was reviewing the book, I remembered some words from Keegan in a collective note that several Latin American media made to him during the pandemic and that can be read here. He was referring to another text of his, but I think it has a lot to do with the mechanism of Very late in the daywhich does not underline but rather gains strength from the accumulation of powerful images: “I think the tension comes from loss. I’m not so interested in drama, but I am interested in tension. And although I think that tension does not like drama very much, it does become something alive, at least in the narrative that I like, from loss. Good fiction is ultimately about loss. It can be about losing time, money, a love, your house or about losing your dignity or your patience. It could be any of those things. I think, deep down, it makes sense, because we know that in the end we are going to lose everything. So we are, in some ways, practicing loss as we get older.”
Very late in the dayby Claire Keegan, with translation by Jorge Fondebrider, was published by Eterna Cadencia Editora.
2. Books of May. While a new edition of the Buenos Aires International Book Fair continues to take place, an event marked this time by the economic crisis and widespread concerns throughout the sector, The publishers based in Argentina continue to offer very diverse novelties, including novels, collections of poems, essays, hybrid texts, graphic novels, short stories and more.. To name a few names, they will hit bookstores this month – and I cross my fingers that they will also be on the shelves of public libraries soon – titles by Lorrie Moore, Salman Rushdie, Nora Ephron, China Miéville, Ricardo Piglia and María Fernanda Ampueroamong others.
Here I put together a somewhat arbitrary guide, as always, with some releases that particularly interested me.
The guide to the notable editorial launches of May can be read here.
3. María Luisa Bemberg Cycle. Until June 3, on-line For those of us in Argentina and for free, You can see four impressive films and one of the most representative of the filmmaker María Luisa Bemberg on the Lumiton platform. Is about Miss Mary, nobody’s lady, I, the worst of all and Camila.
“María Luisa Bemberg was an acclaimed Argentine director and screenwriter, creator of films that gained great popularity and highlighted the emancipation of women,” say the organizers of the series, available to see here, and add: “Bemberg was born in Buenos Aires in 1922, strictly educated within a family that later influenced her artistic themes, where she captured her experiences and her knowledge of the Argentine aristocracy. She fulfilled the mandates of her time by getting married and having children, but she divorced too young to follow her desire for work and independence. He began his career as a filmmaker at the age of 58. and from its beginnings it adopted a critical stance that vindicated women’s rights, portraying rebellious, desiring women, and unusual themes such as adultery. Today she is recognized worldwide for opening the doors of the film industry to several generations of women.”
A reminder, in case you want to continue immersed in the Bemberg world, which is fascinating. On the Star+ platform, as I told you a while ago, you can see the documentary María Luisa Bemberg: the echo of my voiceof Alejandro Maci, which recovers with enormous sensitivity the life and career of the filmmaker. Full of archives, of Bemberg’s fiery testimonies in television appearances, of her statements and also of a kind of tour of her work in the eyes of those who knew her – and even of those who hated her, like the censor. Miguel Paulino Tato–, Maci’s documentary offers both a tribute and the echo of a pioneering voice.
The free and online cycle María Luisa Bemberg from the Lumiton platform can be seen here. More about the documentary María Luisa Bemberg, the echo of my voice, in this link.
4. Apostille. In the midst of the uncertainty that the audiovisual production sector in Argentina is going through and after a promising premiere during the BAFICI, these days it arrives in theaters fierce legendthe documentary that tells the secrets of fierce tango (If you missed it or missed it, you can read more about the film here). As it is important to support the premieres in the first days, so that the films can circulate better, I leave you this link where you will find schedules and days of the screenings.
Since we are, dThe reminders most linked to Argentine cinema: the beautiful Germany (we commented on it here a few weeks ago) it is still on and here you can see details of times and days of the performances. Finally, the documentary was also released in theaters Vinci/Meleeby the Argentine filmmaker Franca Gonzalez. We talk about her and her always surprising work here. At this link you can read an interview with her to learn more about this film and run to the cinema to see it.
Soundtrack. As always, issues are combined without rhyme or reason in this space. On the one hand, a joy: Julia Louis-Dreyfus interviewed Patti Smith on her podcast Wiser Than Me. And the talk was so nice that it made me listen to some of their first albums again. I chose very diverse songs that add to our soundtrack (yes, the one you always find here).
Also, taking into account the words at the beginning of this installment, I selected some themes and artists that mention windows and cafes. From Blur to Los Besos, from Gepe to Fiona Apple, there is everything.
Finally, the very sad news of the death of Javier Martínez imposes a mission on us: to always honor his legacy by listening to everything we can about him, to turn our ears away and stay there, in the eternal sound of his work.
Bonus track. There are only a few days left of the International Book Fair. A particular edition, with fewer sales and general uncertainty, but also with many interesting activities. I remind you that you can follow the coverage that will be released in elDiarioAR about the remainder of the Fair in this link.
Bonus track 2. From May 15 to 18, a new edition of the Night of Ideas will take place in eight Argentine cities. Promoted by the Institut français d’Argentine, it is an international cultural event that was born in France and proposes different activities, mostly free, with the presence of very interesting local and French or Francophone philosophers, writers and artists. You can read more about the program and this year’s guests at this link.
Until next time!
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