Love letter in Elisenda Solsona
BarcelonaThis week the list of writers who will travel to Mexico was published. for the Guadalajara International Book Fair and my friend Elisenda Solsona is one of the guests. Natives: ten beastly tales (Comanegra), my daughter asked me which of the friends we had written the book with was my favorite writer. The joke made me laugh and made me think about when she liked them. The real spies and made me choose which one I liked best. Just like before, I felt bad about having to choose because, like the spies, my friends are all fantastic, but if I had to, I'd go with Alex and Eli (via Solsona), respectively. When she asked me why I chose her, I reflected on it: because of her overflowing imagination, I answered.
"And he writes better than you?" she asked me.
"Yes, of course," I replied.
"And this doesn't make you angry?"
"Just because Messi is here doesn't mean other footballers aren't good," I told him. "His talent inspires me and makes me want to write better."
A few days ago I went to a talk about Mamalia (Malas Hierbas), Solsona's latest novel, at the Casa del Libro on Passeig de Gràcia, with the bookstagrammer Laia Santís Solsona said that stories appear before her eyes like scenes from a movie, and that she just has to write down what she sees. only There's her entire literary and artistic universe, of course, but humility and a lack of self-belief in her talent are part of her personality and also her virtue. Solsona is like a Renaissance artist, a clueless genius who not only has a gift for literature, but also for photography, music, and film.
When the talk ended, we went to dinner and discussed the jealousies and rivalries in the artistic and literary world, which often surface when awards, scholarships, or invitations like the one to Guadalajara are awarded. I went home thinking about how lucky we are to have our friendship bubble, where one's achievements don't pose a threat to the other, but rather inspire and delight.
Rejoice in the achievements of others
True love, whether romantic, friendship, or family, is that which genuinely rejoices in your achievements and helps you grow and make your virtues shine. Things going well for you is the best compass for detecting toxicity because, unfortunately, the world is full of people interested in being the one-eyed man in the land of the blind.
Over the years, I've lost friendships, while others, on the other hand, have endured or strengthened. What differentiates them? There are studies that say that sharing animosity toward others unites more than similar tastes in music, film, or literature. In a recent article, I recalled psychoanalyst Alice Miller's defense of hatred, because it informs us of our values. It's funny because Eli (Sendanda Solsona) and I'm lucky enough to share tastes, hobbies, and deep hatreds (plus, a narcissist will have hissed at her when we get together).
Today I wanted to write about Mamalia And why I think it's one of the books that's sure to be a hit at the International Book Fair, but I ended up writing a love letter to my friend. It's what, sometimes, you can't separate the work from the artist.