Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
13:07:36:15 �� 13:07:36:21 ��
13:07:37:00 13:07:40:06 >>> Good evening, I'm Jose
13:07:40:06 Cardenas. 13:07:42:21 Tonight, we�ll meet
13:07:42:21 award-winning journalist and 13:07:42:21 author Elena Poniatowska.
13:07:36:27 All this coming up, straight 13:07:36:27 ahead on "Horizonte."
13:07:51:00 �� 13:07:51:06 ��
13:07:51:21 >>> Funding for "Horizonte" is 13:07:56:27 made possible by contributions
13:07:58:18 by the friends of eight, 13:08:00:12 members of your Arizona PBS
13:08:01:21 station. 13:08:02:06
13:08:05:03 >>> Thank you for joining us. 13:08:07:09 This week, renowned french-born
13:08:07:09 Mexican journalist and author 13:08:07:09 Elena Poniatowska was in the
13:08:07:09 valley to kick off ASU�s school 13:08:07:09 of international letters and
13:08:07:09 cultures� fall 2014 13:08:07:09 international artist lecture
13:08:07:09 series with her talk �We Can 13:08:07:09 All Be Writers�.
13:08:21:24 Poniatowska�s works focus on 13:08:21:24 political and social issues
13:08:21:24 facing those considered to be 13:08:21:24 disenfranchised, especially the
13:08:21:24 poor and women. 13:08:30:27 In 2013, she won Spain�s Premio
13:08:30:27 Cervantes Literature Award, the 13:08:30:27 most prestigious award for
13:08:30:27 Spanish language literature 13:08:39:15 It recognizes an author�s
13:08:39:15 lifetime body of work, becoming 13:08:39:15 the fourth woman to receive
13:08:39:15 such recognition. 13:08:41:09 Here now is Elena Poniatowska.
13:08:02:03 Senora, welcome to "Horizonte." 13:08:47:27 The jury that awarded the award
13:08:53:09 described you as one of the 13:08:54:09 most powerful voices in Spanish
13:08:56:06 language literature these days. 13:09:00:15 Do you agree with that
13:09:01:12 assessment? 13:09:02:00 >> Well, it's very difficult
13:09:04:18 for me to agree because I would 13:09:05:24 be presumiendo, boasting if I
13:09:14:00 did. 13:09:14:09 But it was a real joy to
13:09:17:27 receive that prize, and a real 13:09:19:18 surprise also because I never
13:09:20:27 expected it. 13:09:21:21 So it was a good thing also for
13:09:26:09 my country, no? 13:09:27:24 >> And yet you've received
13:09:29:21 many, many awards over the 13:09:31:21 course of your career, both
13:09:33:03 from organizations in the 13:09:34:00 United States.
13:09:34:24 You've been recognized in chile 13:09:36:06 and china, in Colombia, in
13:09:39:00 many, many places. 13:09:40:24 What is special about this
13:09:42:00 particular award? 13:09:42:27 >> Well, it's called the Nobel
13:09:45:09 Prize in Spanish. 13:09:49:27 I mean, for Spanish-speaking,
13:09:54:12 Spanish writing people, no? 13:09:57:12 And only very few women have
13:09:59:21 won it. 13:10:00:12 And I was the only one who
13:10:02:09 could speak on top of a 13:10:07:12 p�lpito, �c�mo se dice?
13:10:16:12 >> Lectern. 13:10:16:27 >> The women who had received
13:10:18:06 it before, they were in 13:10:19:27 wheelchairs, they were old.
13:10:24:15 They didn't even present 13:10:25:12 themselves to receive the prize
13:10:28:18 and I went there and it really 13:10:31:09 was like a feast or a party
13:10:32:21 because I took my 10 grand 13:10:36:15 children and then my last
13:10:40:06 little granddaughter, carmen 13:10:46:03 had a very charming
13:10:48:09 conversation with a king 13:10:49:09 because she asked him if he
13:10:50:21 lived in a very big castle and 13:10:53:15 he said yes, it's a very big
13:10:55:12 castle, and then she said well 13:10:57:12 why aren't you wearing your
13:10:59:03 crown? 13:11:00:09 And he said oh, I have it here
13:11:01:18 in my pocket. 13:11:03:06 And then she said is it nice to
13:11:06:18 be a king? 13:11:07:27 And he said sometimes.
13:11:09:27 >> Speaking as a king, we just 13:11:13:06 showed a picture on the screen.
13:11:16:12 You're dressed in the 13:11:18:06 indigenous clothing of the
13:11:20:09 women of wajaca. 13:11:25:18 >> It was a dress given to me
13:11:30:03 by the women of juchitan. 13:11:34:09 They did it themselves, it's a
13:11:35:18 very lovely red dress. 13:11:37:21 And it has also the colors of
13:11:42:21 Spain. 13:11:43:00 Every time you get a prize or
13:11:44:27 you receive a prize, you have 13:11:47:09 to wear this dress so I did.
13:11:48:27 >> And almost every time you 13:11:50:03 are recognized in this fashion
13:11:51:24 or when people comment on your 13:11:54:00 work, they talked about the
13:11:55:24 juxtaposition of your 13:11:57:00 quote/unquote aristocratic
13:11:59:24 background and the fact that 13:12:01:06 most of your writing, your
13:12:03:12 journalism and your novels 13:12:06:00 focus on the poor and the
13:12:08:00 oppressed. 13:12:09:24 >> I think that's because I was
13:12:12:00 born in Mexico, I came when I 13:12:13:21 was 10 years old.
13:12:14:18 >> From France. 13:12:17:00 >> My mother's name is amor,
13:12:22:24 paula. 13:12:23:24 They changed it because it was
13:12:27:15 better instead. 13:12:30:24 And we came --
13:12:33:09 >> And she was from an 13:12:35:03 aristocratic family in Mexico.
13:12:39:18 >> She married this very 13:12:40:24 attractive and very
13:12:41:15 good-looking Polish prince who 13:12:43:15 was the descendant of the last
13:12:46:00 king of Poland. 13:12:50:18 So it's supposedly a royal
13:12:53:06 family, no? 13:12:54:18 >> And you had to learn Spanish
13:12:56:06 I understand. 13:12:56:21 You learned Spanish from the
13:12:58:15 servants. 13:12:58:27 >> Of course, in the streets.
13:13:00:12 So I had a very peculiar 13:13:02:15 Spanish during the early years
13:13:05:09 and I made lots of mistakes, I 13:13:07:15 suppose, but it made me, this
13:13:11:21 language brought me near, very 13:13:14:18 near people, very near,
13:13:16:21 especially the poor people in 13:13:17:21 the streets.
13:13:19:00 >> And you were educated for a 13:13:20:18 period of time in the United
13:13:21:09 States, high school is that 13:13:23:03 right?
13:13:24:00 >> That's why I'm able to speak 13:13:25:15 English with you, by the nuns
13:13:28:21 in the sacred heart convent in 13:13:31:12 a little town in Philadelphia.
13:13:38:09 And the nuns were very nice. 13:13:41:00 I don't know if the school was
13:13:42:00 so good. 13:13:43:03 I think I could have done
13:13:45:06 better, but still they were 13:13:47:09 very good people.
13:13:47:27 >> You returned to Mexico, you 13:13:49:27 began your career as a
13:13:51:00 journalist at I think the age 13:13:53:00 of 18; is that right?
13:13:54:24 >> No, no, I was 21. 13:13:56:18 >> Some of the stories are
13:13:57:15 wrong, but you were very young. 13:14:00:09 >> I was very young yes.
13:14:01:12 >> And you continued to write 13:14:03:21 for newspapers.
13:14:05:06 >> Yes. 13:14:06:09 Now, I continue, yes all I do
I 13:14:08:24 think now and especially now at
13:14:11:21 my age, I'm 82, all I do really 13:14:16:21 is work, and write.
13:14:19:06 I can do nothing else because 13:14:21:00 my children are already, they
13:14:24:00 have their own families, they 13:14:25:06 have their own children, no?
13:14:27:15 So what I have to do is keep on 13:14:31:18 writing, keep on working.
13:14:34:03 >> You talked about journalists 13:14:35:27 in your remarks in Spain, both
13:14:38:27 I think in acceptance of your 13:14:42:00 reward and then some other
13:14:43:06 speeches you gave there and you 13:14:44:24 talked about how difficult that
13:14:46:09 position is, right now 13:14:48:03 particularly in Latin America.
13:14:49:27 >> To be a journalist in Latin 13:14:52:03 America, yes it is, because,
13:14:58:12 first of all, when I started 13:15:02:06 being a journalist, you could
13:15:03:18 never speak about poverty, 13:15:06:09 because, for instance, Carlos
13:15:09:00 fuentes, you know of him, they 13:15:15:24 got jobs when they were young,
13:15:18:18 especially Carlos fuentes, they 13:15:22:12 got jobs as censors.
13:15:26:21 There were so many movies made 13:15:29:06 in Mexico, because it was less
13:15:31:12 expensive than in the states, 13:15:32:24 no?
13:15:33:15 John Wayne came to Mexico and 13:15:38:09 there were censors of these
13:15:40:09 movies. 13:15:40:24 For instance, if a stray dog
13:15:44:21 and a very thin skinny dog went 13:15:46:18 over the plateau or the set,
13:15:50:21 fuentes used say stop! 13:15:57:15 This dog denigrates Mexico.
13:15:59:09 And they were paid for that. 13:16:01:06 So at the same time, I think
13:16:03:18 there was a lot of censorship. 13:16:05:24 The image we had to give of
13:16:08:21 Mexico was an image given by 13:16:14:12 Walt Disney.
13:16:15:24 The tres caballeros. 13:16:20:24 I remember this movie and this
13:16:24:09 idea of Mexico with pineapples 13:16:26:27 on your head and women dancing
13:16:29:00 and things like that, which 13:16:32:12 doesn't exist anymore, but
13:16:33:24 still censorship exists. 13:16:35:15 It's very difficult to
13:16:36:24 criticize in my country, yes. 13:16:38:12 But I think it must be also
13:16:39:27 very difficult to do it in 13:16:42:03 Spain, especially intellectuals
13:16:45:06 are asked to give their opinion 13:16:49:18 in almost everything and in the
13:16:50:27 states, it doesn't exist, I 13:16:53:03 don't think, for instance,
13:16:55:03 Susan sonntag who was a great 13:16:58:27 woman writer, she was never
13:17:00:06 asked to give an opinion of 13:17:02:00 what the government was doing.
13:17:04:03 And in Mexico, this happens 13:17:06:27 with writers.
13:17:07:27 >> You mentioned in your 13:17:08:24 remarks how dangerous it is to
13:17:10:09 be a journalist because of the 13:17:12:06 drug wars among other things.
13:17:13:24 >> Yes, because of drugs. 13:17:16:27 At the frontier, at the north,
13:17:19:00 it's very dangerous to be a 13:17:22:18 journalist because everyone
13:17:23:27 knows you and mostly I think we 13:17:26:21 are the most dangerous for
13:17:28:18 being, catalogado, cataloged, 13:17:37:21 the most dangerous country in
13:17:40:00 the world for journalists and I
13:17:42:12 think this year, but not this 13:17:44:06 year, but the last two years,
I 13:17:47:18 think more than 78 journalists
13:17:50:27 have been killed, especially 13:17:52:27 men and especially the ones who
13:17:55:09 are linked and women also, but 13:17:57:12 especially men the ones who are
13:17:59:21 linked with drugs. 13:18:01:18 >> Now, you talked about the
13:18:04:12 censorship at least back in the 13:18:05:21 early days when Mexico was very
13:18:07:12 concerned about its image and 13:18:08:24 yet the work for which you are
13:18:10:12 perhaps most famous for is one 13:18:11:27 that portrays Mexico in a very
13:18:13:27 unflattering light. 13:18:15:03 You wrote about the shootings
13:18:17:03 of the student protesters in 13:18:18:09 the weeks before the 1968
13:18:21:12 Olympics. 13:18:21:21 >> That was many years ago.
13:18:23:00 And it's a book called massacre 13:18:25:21 in Mexico.
13:18:26:27 And it's about the killing of 13:18:28:15 students in 1968, yes, the
13:18:31:15 night. 13:18:33:18 >> And you wrote that at a time
13:18:35:00 when it was not a good idea. 13:18:37:24 >> When it was forbidden and
13:18:40:06 when yes, it was very difficult 13:18:42:21 to have the book published
13:18:44:00 because even the publishing 13:18:46:21 house received una amenaza
13:18:57:21 saying they were going to put a
13:19:00:00 bomb into the publishing house 13:19:02:12 and the head of this publishing
13:19:04:21 house was a Catalan, and he 13:19:11:15 said I've been in the civil war
13:19:13:06 in Spain, I've been in Spain, I
13:19:15:27 know what bombs mean. 13:19:18:27 And I'm willing to take the
13:19:20:27 risk and I'm not afraid of 13:19:23:06 bombs and this book is going to
13:19:24:27 be published. 13:19:26:03 And then afterwards, there was
13:19:28:00 this rumor all over the city, I
13:19:31:09 don't think the country, but 13:19:32:21 yes, the city, saying that the
13:19:34:24 book was going to be picked up, 13:19:37:21 confiscated in all the
13:19:39:21 libraries. 13:19:41:03 And it was very good propaganda
13:19:43:06 for the book because everyone 13:19:44:03 wanted to get a copy before the
13:19:47:12 army of soldiers would come and 13:19:50:00 get the book.
13:19:51:09 And then I was offered the 13:19:52:24 prize saying that this book was
13:19:57:24 the book of the year. 13:19:59:15 And then, of course, I said
13:20:01:27 well who's going to give a 13:20:04:06 prize to the dead, you know?
13:20:06:09 To all the dead. 13:20:08:24 I declined the prize, I did.
13:20:12:03 >> And it was the interior 13:20:17:00 minister who offered it.
13:20:18:24 >> He was interior minister 13:20:20:03 during the killings.
13:20:22:03 >> Now, your version of events 13:20:25:18 seem to have been corroborated
13:20:27:18 many, many years later, I think 13:20:29:03 in 2001, there were disclosures
13:20:31:27 of documents that were made 13:20:33:09 public that seemed to
13:20:34:09 corroborate your statements, 13:20:36:03 the version of events that you
13:20:37:06 gave in your book that the 13:20:38:21 Mexican soldiers had fired on
13:20:42:09 the students and that the 13:20:44:03 provocation had actually come
13:20:45:06 from other Mexican undercover 13:20:47:12 agents.
13:20:47:27 >> Yes. 13:20:48:27 But you have to imagine, not
13:20:52:18 imagine but this book is a book 13:20:54:09 of voices.
13:20:55:21 It's the voices of all the 13:20:57:03 people who took part in this,
13:20:59:18 even the students who went to 13:21:03:18 jail, who went to jails.
13:21:09:21 So it's their voices, the 13:21:11:24 voices of the citizens, the
13:21:13:09 voices of the leaders, and even 13:21:15:06 the voices of people against
13:21:17:06 the students movement saying 13:21:19:06 why are not -- why aren't the
13:21:21:21 students in front of their 13:21:24:09 desks studying?
13:21:26:18 Why are they out there in the 13:21:28:09 streets?
13:21:29:15 So it was a huge collage of 13:21:33:06 voices and especially of the
13:21:35:24 voices of many of the people, 13:21:37:24 many of the students who were
13:21:39:03 killed. 13:21:40:18 >> You talk about the voices of
13:21:41:27 the people involved. 13:21:43:21 Your writing has been described
13:21:45:00 as testimonial writing, not 13:21:47:27 just in that context but in
13:21:49:24 other books that you have 13:21:51:27 written.
13:21:52:09 Do you think that's an accurate 13:21:54:00 description?
13:21:54:21 >> It is a writing that comes 13:21:58:03 out of what people say or what
13:22:00:18 people care about. 13:22:03:03 I've written many stories.
13:22:05:09 Now, I've written stories like 13:22:07:06 every other writer writes a
13:22:09:15 story, using himself or using a
13:22:12:21 friend or using whatever he 13:22:14:24 thinks of life, no?
13:22:17:12 But still, what I've done is 13:22:21:27 really is maybe because I
13:22:27:21 wasn't born in Mexico is to 13:22:28:27 document my country.
13:22:30:03 When I arrived as a girl, I 13:22:31:12 remember I loved geography and
13:22:35:09 I saw a map of Mexico and in 13:22:36:18 this map, I saw many pieces of
13:22:40:03 land, zones that had to be 13:22:45:03 discover.
13:22:46:09 Zonas por descubrir. 13:22:54:00 France is a country where every
13:22:55:12 little piece of earth is 13:22:56:27 cultivated, there's something
13:22:58:18 on every piece of earth in 13:23:01:03 France, but not in Mexico.
13:23:02:21 So what I started to do is try 13:23:07:27 to know for myself, know my
13:23:09:18 country the best I could, and 13:23:11:09 then for others also.
13:23:13:09 And there are still places in 13:23:15:03 Mexico city that no one knows
13:23:17:21 about. 13:23:19:27 And people, especially people,
13:23:22:27 indigenous people, that also no 13:23:25:21 one knows about.
13:23:27:21 Women, old people, and 13:23:30:03 children.
13:23:31:12 >> And speaking of women, they 13:23:33:00 tend to be at the forefront of
13:23:36:09 many of your writings. 13:23:37:12 You've written some stories
13:23:38:18 about the women who fought in 13:23:40:06 the Mexican revolution.
13:23:44:18 And the thinking is -- you've 13:23:50:03 been described as a feminist
13:23:51:21 writer. 13:23:52:18 For instance, the soldaderas,
13:23:55:27 the camp followers in Mexico, 13:23:58:15 they were considered almost
13:24:00:00 prostitutes, no? 13:24:01:09 Women who just followed
13:24:04:03 soldiers or followed the 13:24:05:03 troops, but I think that
13:24:07:12 without them, there would have 13:24:08:15 been absolutely no revolution,
13:24:12:03 because they cooked for the 13:24:13:18 men, they followed him, they
13:24:16:03 slept with him, they took care 13:24:17:15 of him.
13:24:19:00 And when the men died, maybe 13:24:22:21 even could be a general, they
13:24:24:12 would take the musket, they 13:24:28:24 would shoot and even they would
13:24:31:00 ride on horses. 13:24:31:27 They were very extraordinary
13:24:33:03 women and they were never taken 13:24:34:24 into account.
13:24:36:09 So that is why I have been so 13:24:41:09 keen on giving women their
13:24:44:27 place. 13:24:47:24 Usually, Mexican society easily
13:24:51:09 forgets its women. 13:24:53:18 Easily.
13:24:55:06 They know all about now -- 13:25:02:18 [ Indiscernible ]
13:25:02:27 But they don't seem to know 13:25:04:21 anything about women, no?
13:25:06:15 And women have very little 13:25:09:06 participation in, for instance,
13:25:13:00 politics and when they do, they 13:25:14:15 do whatever men tell them
13:25:17:09 because it's the men who have 13:25:18:18 brought them into power.
13:25:23:15 >> Speaking of women and 13:25:25:03 politics, when you accepted the
13:25:27:24 award, you commented on the 13:25:29:27 women who were part of the
13:25:32:21 movement in 1994. 13:25:35:03 And you talked about what this
13:25:36:15 meant to them. 13:25:38:15 >> Yes, because women,
13:25:40:24 indigenous women, for instance, 13:25:52:00 they said they wanted to drive
13:25:53:03 a car like the men did, like 13:25:54:18 the men or the other soldiers.
13:25:56:18 They said that they wanted to 13:25:57:27 look in the eyes of the men
13:26:00:15 they chose, not to be chosen or 13:26:03:21 changed for alcohol, which
13:26:07:09 happened before this they 13:26:10:00 didn't want to be taken to the
13:26:11:12 house of the -- it's not foster 13:26:16:00 parents, it's their suegros.
13:26:19:18 >> The in-laws. 13:26:20:21 >> Their what?
13:26:22:00 >> In-laws. 13:26:22:24 >> And spend the night there.
13:26:26:09 They said they really wanted to 13:26:29:24 have the children and that they
13:26:33:00 could have and that they could 13:26:33:27 bring up and they said
13:26:37:00 especially we want to drive a 13:26:38:09 car like the men do.
13:26:39:24 So it was a change. 13:26:42:00 It was an enormous change
13:26:43:00 because women usually, they 13:26:45:21 hide like this, they hide their
13:26:49:12 face, they're always praying, 13:26:50:24 they have about 10 children,
13:26:52:00 it's a very difficult life for 13:26:53:21 women in Mexico.
13:26:54:21 And suddenly for them to say 13:26:57:00 things like that, it was almost
13:26:58:03 like a miracle. 13:26:59:18 No it was so surprising and so
13:27:01:21 touching and it was very 13:27:06:06 important for women in Mexico,
13:27:08:06 all kinds of women, rich women 13:27:10:03 also.
13:27:11:12 >> Overall, do you think the 13:27:12:21 lot of women in Mexico has
13:27:15:27 improved in the years that 13:27:16:27 you've been observing their
13:27:17:24 situation? 13:27:18:15 >> Well, what improves any
13:27:21:09 human being is education. 13:27:26:03 What we need in Mexico most of
13:27:28:21 all, we need to be fed, we need 13:27:31:18 not to feel hungry.
13:27:34:09 We have to fight hunger. 13:27:35:24 but mostly we need education.
13:27:39:09 And if all women have education 13:27:42:12 at the university, for
13:27:43:06 instance, now, which is one of 13:27:45:03 the biggest -- you know, it's
13:27:46:24 better -- it's one of the 13:27:49:03 biggest universities in this
13:27:50:09 continent, and it's a good 13:27:52:12 university, also.
13:27:54:06 There are many women in 13:27:57:00 philosophy, literature, for
13:27:59:24 instance, and women who stand 13:28:00:27 out and are very extraordinary,
13:28:02:18 but still, for instance, in 13:28:04:03 politics, women have done
13:28:05:27 nothing, which is important. 13:28:08:09 >> Let me ask you about your
13:28:10:06 views of the United States and 13:28:11:12 its immigration policies.
13:28:14:24 I read a number of years ago 13:28:18:06 when President Obama was
13:28:19:09 elected, you expressed a great 13:28:20:27 deal of hope about what that
13:28:22:12 might mean for improving 13:28:23:21 relationships with Mexico for
13:28:24:21 immigration and so forth. 13:28:25:18 He has come under a lot of
13:28:26:24 criticism most recently for 13:28:28:24 postponing some immigration
13:28:30:12 reforms that he had promised to 13:28:31:27 make.
13:28:32:09 What's your view now of the 13:28:33:15 relationship between the United
13:28:35:03 States and Mexico as regards to 13:28:37:09 immigration, Arizona in
13:28:38:18 particular, and President 13:28:39:18 Obama?
13:28:41:15 >> It's a very complex -- it's 13:28:43:15 a very complex situation,
13:28:47:00 especially for Mexicans because 13:28:50:24 now the Mexicans who are not
13:28:52:21 received in the United States, 13:28:54:09 who are kicked out so to say
13:28:57:03 and go back, they all stay in 13:28:59:27 Tijuana and there's a big
13:29:07:06 franja, a big like an avenue of 13:29:13:12 people in, for instance,
13:29:18:00 Tijuana and all the towns at 13:29:20:06 the border, of people who are
13:29:22:21 waiting who don't want -- who 13:29:24:21 are not capable to come back to
13:29:28:12 their homes, and I think 13:29:29:06 they're in a horrible situation
13:29:30:24 and they're very badly treated, 13:29:34:00 badly treated, they were badly
13:29:36:09 treated, of course, when they 13:29:37:03 were sent back by the
13:29:38:09 Americans, and they're very 13:29:40:12 badly treated by the Mexicans
13:29:42:03 and, for instance, Mexicans 13:29:44:24 have a reputation of treating
13:29:47:12 also immigrants very badly 13:29:49:18 because of all the ones that
13:29:51:03 come from Central America, 13:29:54:06 Guatemala, El Salvador, now
13:30:03:21 they won't let them go on top 13:30:05:15 of the roof, on top of the
13:30:07:27 roof, but they are treated by 13:30:09:21 the Mexican authorities, the
13:30:11:12 Mexican police and the Mexican 13:30:15:21 soldiers or whatever, the army,
13:30:17:27 they are treated as well, I 13:30:20:06 think they say they're treated
13:30:21:18 worse than the Americans treat 13:30:23:24 the Mexicans.
13:30:25:03 >> We're almost out of time. 13:30:27:12 Let me ask you about your
13:30:28:15 lectures at asu. 13:30:30:18 You're going to talk about I
13:30:31:18 think the title of your speech 13:30:33:15 or your lecture is we can all
13:30:35:27 be writers. 13:30:37:21 Is that really true?
13:30:40:15 >> In a way it's true, of 13:30:42:09 course, if we work.
13:30:43:21 We can all be writers if we 13:30:46:21 really dedicate our time to it
13:30:48:15 and if we work. 13:30:50:00 But I think writing is a way of
13:30:55:06 expressing once, it's a way of 13:30:58:15 speaking out.
13:30:59:27 It's a way of observing. 13:31:02:00 You have to look at what's
13:31:03:09 happening. 13:31:04:15 And you have to look at others,
13:31:06:15 you have to look at people in 13:31:07:27 the eyes.
13:31:09:03 You have to be -- you have to 13:31:11:03 watch, which is I don't know if
13:31:13:24 it's a good word for this, but 13:31:17:09 I think writing has to do with
13:31:18:24 living and when you live, you 13:31:23:03 write down, you can write very
13:31:25:09 easily right now what you've 13:31:27:21 seen during the day at night,
13:31:30:24 you know. 13:31:31:15 >> You've written dozens of
13:31:33:00 books. 13:31:33:15 >> Yes.
13:31:34:00 >> And I know this is a 13:31:34:18 difficult question for any
13:31:36:00 writer but is there one in 13:31:37:15 particular that's your
13:31:38:06 favorite? 13:31:39:00 >> The one I'm going to write
13:31:40:27 or the one I'm writing right 13:31:42:15 now.
13:31:43:09 >> Is that always the case? 13:31:44:15 >> It's always the case because
13:31:46:06 if I didn't love it, or I 13:31:48:06 didn't believe in it, I
13:31:49:18 wouldn't do it and I have to 13:31:50:27 believe in it.
13:31:51:18 I make myself believe in the 13:31:53:12 book I'm going to write, I'm
13:31:55:06 writing, so to give it life and 13:31:58:03 to push it out.
13:31:59:24 >> And we're almost out of 13:32:00:27 time.
13:32:01:15 I know you're working on a book 13:32:02:21 right now, can you give us a
13:32:04:09 preview? 13:32:04:27 >> It's a book on diego Rivera,
13:32:09:27 everybody speaks about frida 13:32:12:06 kahlo, but there was another
13:32:13:27 woman, lupa marie, Rivera's 13:32:19:18 second wife before kahlo.
13:32:22:12 She bore him two daughters who 13:32:26:15 died of cancer, and I think she
13:32:27:21 was an extraordinary person 13:32:30:18 because she wasn't a good
13:32:32:12 women. 13:32:33:21 What one considers a good
13:32:35:21 woman. 13:32:36:03 >> This is a book about their
13:32:37:09 relationship? 13:32:38:21 >> Not about relationship with
13:32:40:21 diego, but she wasn't -- she 13:32:43:03 wasn't a good mother, she
13:32:44:12 wasn't a good wife. 13:32:46:15 She wasn't good, which is very
13:32:48:09 interesting. 13:32:49:00 >> On that note we're going to
13:32:49:24 have to end the interview. 13:32:51:00 I'm sorry we're out of time.
13:32:52:09 Thank you so much for honoring 13:32:54:27 our show.
13:32:55:15 >> Thank you for inviting me. 13:32:57:09 >> That's our show for tonight.
13:32:58:18 From all of us on "Horizonte" 13:33:00:21 and eight, thanks for watching.
13:33:01:21 I'm Jos� C�rdenas, have a good
13:33:03:00 evening. 13:33:03:12 ��
13:33:04:24 �� 13:33:05:06 >>> Funding for "Horizonte" is
13:33:30:00 made possible by contributions 13:33:31:21 from the friends of eight.
13:33:32:21 Members of your Arizona PBS 13:33:33:18 station.