As long as they're here, we'll be here.

I try not to include personal anecdotes in these articles, but allow me to make an exception. On Wednesday, the anniversary of the devastating floods in the Valencian Community, I received a message from Vicent Olmos, editor and driving force behind the publishing house Asuntos. Olmos is a historian and one of the most insightful figures in the Catalan Countries; Asuntos, his publishing house, is an essential resource for readers of books on Catalan thought. Publishing, thought, and history in the Fusterian style.

Both Vicent Olmos and Asuntos are from Catarroja, one of the towns hit hard by the torrential rains a year ago. Olmos lost everything, or almost everything; the publishing house's entire catalog was wiped out. A year later, however, the editor wasn't writing to me about that. He was meticulously confirming that he had my address correct so he could send me Josep Piera's new book. Everything is wavesPublished by Asuntos. With its usual perseverance, intelligence, and work ethic, and with the collaboration and support of many excellent readers and writers, this small but mighty publishing house continues its exemplary path. It goes without saying—or perhaps it shouldn't—that Josep Piera, poet and prose writer, winner of the Prize of Honor for Catalan Literature, is one of the most important living writers in the Catalan language. Olmos and Piera (and Ramon Ramon, an excellent poet and diarist, who selected the texts for Everything is wavesThe fact that they are making a book together is great news for Catalan literature.

Around the same time as Vicent Olmos's message, Carlos Mazón delivered a cold, tepid speech in which he ambiguously acknowledged that there had been "errors" (without clarifying whether he assumed responsibility) and announced, a year late, that October 29th would henceforth be a day of mourning in the Valencian Community. Returning to personal anecdotes, the following day I was to attend, at the invitation of the El Tempir association and the Elche Mystery Play Foundation, the autumn performances of the impressive medieval sacred drama of the Elche Mystery Play, and also to present my book and give a lecture on the Catalan language in the Balearic Islands. Because, naturally, the people of Elche are interested in knowing the state of the Catalan language in the Balearic Islands.

While this was happening, a quick glance at social media revealed the poets Maria Josep Escrivà and Begonya Pozo, and the young Joan Deusa, presenting their magnificent book far and wide. Ithaca devastated...winner of this year's Barcelona Floral Games prize. And friends from Valencia, and also Mallorca, sent me the video of Tabletop thievesThe song denouncing the shameful conduct of Mazón and his government, featuring the voices of Malifeta, Zoo, La Raíz, Abril, Los Chikos del Maíz, and Tito Pontet. I also received Feliu Ventura's song about the DANA storm. When the sky turned blackAnd so many things happen every day in the vibrant Valencian Community, which some try to make us believe (and some, driven by prejudice, actually do believe) that it doesn't exist. But it does. And as long as it exists, we will, because much of the best of Catalan culture is Valencian.