Guerrillero spoke with the outstanding Cuban intellectual Fernando Rodríguez Sosa about literary promotion and criticism
Fernando Rodríguez Sosa speaks of himself as a man who loves books and who tries to love others. His intense work as a cultural and critical promoter, for more than 40 years, constitutes a full proof of that purpose that we could call life philosophy.
Only today collaborates with about 14 radio programs a week, in addition to its distinguished comment in the television space Write and read and many other publications in magazines. To this are added their well -known gatherings in the Fayad Jamís bookstore and other cultural institutions.
During his last visit to Pinar del Río, as a guest of the literary day “Moldo lyrics”, he shared some moments of his long intellectual career, as well as valuations around critics and literary promotion in today’s Cuba, an area in which he constitutes a renowned voice.
“I studied journalism at the University of Havana and I always knew that the journalism I wanted to exercise was the cultural one. That was defined. My training had been a very literary training. I remember that from very early ages I read many books, I still keep some of my childhood, full of color illustrations, telling stories. And the book always interested me. So my journalistic life has always been collaborating with press organs and, usually speaking.”
With such a systematic exercise of literary criticism, can you say that Fernando chooses the texts he wants to analyze or try to assess everything that reaches his hands?
“I try to value everything, because I have always thought that Cuban culture is not the culture of the capital. I think that culture is made throughout the country and that sometimes the culture that is done in the province is much better than the one promoted in Havana.
“Of course, there are thousands of pitfalls that prevent me from having absolute knowledge of what is published in Cuba. Usually, I have to be hunting for the new publications. Many times, those books, especially those of territorial stamps, come to me through the authors themselves and not by an institutional way. But I, as far as possible, always try to be aware of everything that is published.”
As a reader, what literature do you prefer?
“At one point it was the narrative. But already at this time, both poetry and narrative and reflexive prose. I try to be the major fingerboard. It has been said, very reason, that Cuba is a country of poets. But, lately, the narrative and reflexive prose has developed a lot. And I, although I have preferences, try to cover all these literary genres. What less work is the theater, and I have also entered the theater, and I have also entered the theater, and I have also entered the theater. I think the theater must be encouraged so that the public can access it. ”
How would you describe the current state of literary criticism in Cuba?
“It is something that has been discussed a lot. I remember an opinion of Juan Marinello in the first years of the revolutionary triumph, who talked about critical homelessness. I do not believe that today I reach the point of critical destitution, but there is really an imbalance in what is done.
“In the first place, there was a complaint at a given time that there was not enough space in the media to make literary criticism. Today there is space; because, although the newspaper runs are very limited, there are digital media, the websites of all media. There are social networks that, although they are used to criticize the elementary pedestrian and not to make a serious criticism, they can also be a good vehicle.
“But, criticism is not the criticism that must be done; it is not even the promotion that must be done in many cases of literature. I think there is a deficit regarding the promotion of literature. Many times a book presentation is announced, an author is announced and his work, a cultural program is announced, but you do not know what happened there later, because there is no feedback, there is no assessment of what is done. And I think that is also done. Very little orientation in terms of books that are published. ”
Then, with new technologies and therefore, these new ways to promote the book, do you think that literary criticism is being more or less necessary?
“I believe that it is being very necessary, neither more nor less, very necessary. And there are very specific examples. I know that in Radio Guama, the broadcaster here, a podcast is being prepared to promote the book and it is really very interesting; Criticize the book, the negative and positive elements that you can have, but to promote it, which is what I think there is no promotion of the book. ”
And what is the valuation of the reading public? Do you think the Cuban reader is still looking for criticism as a guide to decide whether to buy a text or not?
“It does not seem to me that I look for criticism, because the criticism and literary promotion are really limited. So I think there is no element as a guide for the reader. I have personal anecdotes that have arrived indirectly, for example, the comments of the comments of Write and readafter the air comes out on the air, some people approach the Fayad Jamís bookstore to look for the book that I commented. That has reached me indirectly by the workers of this cultural institution. But, I don’t think that exists regularly. ”
A debate that right now faces the editorial system in the country has to do with the digital book. What is your opinion about it?
“In a program that I do to Havana Radio, the last question to the guests is precisely if they believe that the paper book can die and become only digital book. There is a large percentage of the guests, I would say that almost 95% who have affirmed that the paper book will not die. That the book on paper and the digital book will coexist.
“I was very reluctant to the digital book and yet The digital support book is also valid access.
“And the digital book is not only of interest to young people, children and adolescents; the elderly, like me, are also interested in the digital book.”
We have seen it very close to young people, what perception does that new batch of literary critics have in these moments in Cuba?
“They are valuable, not only literary critics, but the creators in general. Cuban artists of that moment. ”
Fernando Rodríguez Sosa holds the José Antonio Fernández de Castro national Cultural Journalism Award, the National Prize for Reading Raúl Ferrer, the distinction for national culture and other senior recognitions.
In recent months, his presence has become frequent in Pinar del Río, where there is a reader audience and a guild of book professionals who admire and respect him.
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