Article
Nathalie van Meurs interviews Harkaitz Cano
‘A good poem is a sort of black box’
May 21, 2015
Orson Welles shot a documentary in the Basque Country many years ago, and he came to the conclusion that he didn’t know who the hell the Basques were, but he was quite sure that they were neither Spanish nor French. Basque language has a small world of its own: a bunch of publishers, public TV and radio stations, a daily newspaper, magazines and a very active and cutting edge web environment. In addition to that, Basque language is only an organic tool with no particular mysticism attached to it; a language, among many others, with the particularity of having –being generous– only a million speakers. We’re few, yes, but more than in Iceland, for instance, where they have an amazing music and literary scene with only 300.000 people… Not having our own state somehow exaggerates the perception of our smallness in the world.
All languages are ‘made up languages’, only that Basque is made up more recently than others. Besides, a language is a living organism that changes every day.
2. Basque is seen as an isolated language that, if associated with other languages, is most similar to Aquitaine, which is a ‘dead language’. How does this enrich or limit the role of language in the quest for identity-searching of a people, and how does this enrich or limit your writing (poetry)?
Basque is not that isolated; many words come from their Latin roots. Basque’s been in touch with many other languages and that implies some give and take: some words in Spanish come from Basque, and the Basque word to say telephone can be understood by anyone: ‘telefonoa’. On the other hand, Basque is the perfect language to fiction, starting from its very beginning: its origin is unknown. You can make up whatever you want . . . We do have some playful theories about it. Does it come from the Caucasus? Amazigh roots, maybe? Was it Adam and Eve´s language? Make your choice, nobody can prove it, so . . . Our language may be an ancient one, but I’m not proud of that, I would prefer to think that our literature is young, active and vivid, framed in a flourishing culture. A Basque writer sometimes feels that he’s the first one walking on fresh snow. It may be harder to step on, but the fact that you’re creating, with your own footprints, your path and tradition, can be extremely exciting too.
3. At the Poetry International Festival you will give a Craft Talk. Can you say something about the topic(s) that you will talk about and why they are relevant in contemporary society?
The main idea is that humour and irony are essential to ruffle some feathers, as well as the interaction among different art disciplines. One of my main concerns with social networks, Twitter, etc., is that everybody wants to be a writer, but no one wants to be a reader anymore. In this context, how can a poet contribute to society? Perhaps we should try to restore the real meaning of some worn-out words, adding unexpected nuances and trying to trigger uneasy feelings; making the reader doubt his or her convictions. Easy to say, but . . .
4. How does the topic of your Craft Talk influence your own poetry and/or artwork?
I cannot conceive poetry without this connection to day-to-day life. I believe that art can achieve a modest change sometimes or, in the best case, even catharsis. As Catalan poet Joan Margarit once said: a good poem is a sort of black box. Once you go through this box, you should notice something slightly changed while you were in, even though you may not be able to utterly grasp the ultimate reason of this transformation.
Read more about Cano and selections from his poetry here. And don't miss your chance to see him in person at the 46th Poetry International Festival. His {event id="216" title="Craft Talk"} will take place on Saturday, 13 June, 2015, at 16:30 in the Small Auditorium of the Rotterdam Schouwburg.
The Basque poet Harkaitz Cano will be a featured guest at the 46th Poetry International Festival. In addition to reading his poetry during various programs, he also will present a Craft Talk, which will take place on last day of the festival, Saturday, 13 June. Here, Poetry International intern Nathalie van Meurs asks Cano about how the Basque language and identity shape his work, and to give us a preview of his Craft Talk.
1. Do you think the Basque language provides citizens of the Basque Country with a different sense of identity than, for example, a Spanish or a French identity? And how does the fact that Basque is sometimes seen as a ‘made up language’ add to this?Orson Welles shot a documentary in the Basque Country many years ago, and he came to the conclusion that he didn’t know who the hell the Basques were, but he was quite sure that they were neither Spanish nor French. Basque language has a small world of its own: a bunch of publishers, public TV and radio stations, a daily newspaper, magazines and a very active and cutting edge web environment. In addition to that, Basque language is only an organic tool with no particular mysticism attached to it; a language, among many others, with the particularity of having –being generous– only a million speakers. We’re few, yes, but more than in Iceland, for instance, where they have an amazing music and literary scene with only 300.000 people… Not having our own state somehow exaggerates the perception of our smallness in the world.
All languages are ‘made up languages’, only that Basque is made up more recently than others. Besides, a language is a living organism that changes every day.
2. Basque is seen as an isolated language that, if associated with other languages, is most similar to Aquitaine, which is a ‘dead language’. How does this enrich or limit the role of language in the quest for identity-searching of a people, and how does this enrich or limit your writing (poetry)?
Basque is not that isolated; many words come from their Latin roots. Basque’s been in touch with many other languages and that implies some give and take: some words in Spanish come from Basque, and the Basque word to say telephone can be understood by anyone: ‘telefonoa’. On the other hand, Basque is the perfect language to fiction, starting from its very beginning: its origin is unknown. You can make up whatever you want . . . We do have some playful theories about it. Does it come from the Caucasus? Amazigh roots, maybe? Was it Adam and Eve´s language? Make your choice, nobody can prove it, so . . . Our language may be an ancient one, but I’m not proud of that, I would prefer to think that our literature is young, active and vivid, framed in a flourishing culture. A Basque writer sometimes feels that he’s the first one walking on fresh snow. It may be harder to step on, but the fact that you’re creating, with your own footprints, your path and tradition, can be extremely exciting too.
3. At the Poetry International Festival you will give a Craft Talk. Can you say something about the topic(s) that you will talk about and why they are relevant in contemporary society?
The main idea is that humour and irony are essential to ruffle some feathers, as well as the interaction among different art disciplines. One of my main concerns with social networks, Twitter, etc., is that everybody wants to be a writer, but no one wants to be a reader anymore. In this context, how can a poet contribute to society? Perhaps we should try to restore the real meaning of some worn-out words, adding unexpected nuances and trying to trigger uneasy feelings; making the reader doubt his or her convictions. Easy to say, but . . .
4. How does the topic of your Craft Talk influence your own poetry and/or artwork?
I cannot conceive poetry without this connection to day-to-day life. I believe that art can achieve a modest change sometimes or, in the best case, even catharsis. As Catalan poet Joan Margarit once said: a good poem is a sort of black box. Once you go through this box, you should notice something slightly changed while you were in, even though you may not be able to utterly grasp the ultimate reason of this transformation.
Read more about Cano and selections from his poetry here. And don't miss your chance to see him in person at the 46th Poetry International Festival. His {event id="216" title="Craft Talk"} will take place on Saturday, 13 June, 2015, at 16:30 in the Small Auditorium of the Rotterdam Schouwburg.
© Nathalie van Meurs
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