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Interviu cu Kathryn Wagner: Crile sunt o extraordinar eliberare de cotidian

3 octombrie 2013 | Categoria: interviuri

Kathryn Wagner

Parisul dezvelit de aparene, fastuoasa perioadbelle poque readus la via. Acestea suntdoar dou din meritele literare ale romanuluiDansatoarea lui Degas de Kathryn Wagner(Editura Humanitas). Confesiunile unei tinere balerine te poart cu uurin ntr-o lume i untimp n care arta conta cu adevrat, iar oamenii fceau sacrificii importante de dragul ei.

Forat de mam s-i ntrein familia srac, Alexandrie i folosete talentul pentru dans cas intre la Opera din Paris i s-i construiasc o nou via, departe de culesul ardeilor iui.

ncrederea n baletul Operei i este zdruncinat cnd descoper dedesubturile relaiilor dintrebalerine i publicul adorator, adic abonaii cu bani care le ntrein. n timp ce muncete dingreu ca s-i ctige statutul de prim-balerini ncearc s-l descifreze pe faimosul pictorEdgar Degas, cel care i face numeroase portrete, Alexandrie triete pur i simplu la vie

parisienne

Wagner recreeaz ficional spiritul frenetic al impresionismului, definit de discuiile i

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confruntrile de idei dintre Monet, Pissaro i Degas, de la cafeneaua Guerbois. Poveste despreambiie, integritate, sensurile artei i dragoste,Dansatoarea lui Degas m-a captivat de la

nceput pn la sfrit prin scriitura proaspt, caracterul incoruptibil al lui Alexandrie i prinfigura capriciosului Degas. Zic s-o cunoatem mai bine pe autoarea acestui roman:

RomanulDansatoarea lui Degas poate fi privit ca un omagiu pentru dou din cele maifrumoase arte: baletul i pictura. Care a fost inspiraia pentru a le aduce mpreun?

Ce mi-a plcut cel mai mult scriindDansatoarea lui Degas a fost s aduc la via picturile luiDegas. Documentarea despre tinerele balerine, despre abonai [n.n. abonns - un privilegiu albrbailor nstrii care se abonau s ia parte la repetiiile de balet, flirtau cu balerinele i leacompaniau n vestiar] i despre Degas a fost fascinanti nu ntotdeauna frumoas. Dincolode suprafa, ntlneai o juxtapunere ntre motivele pentru care balerinele alegeau baletul iizolarea lui Degas. Aa am gsit inspiraia pentru personajul meu principal Alexandrie.

Eu cred c Alexandrie e un personaj foarte puternic, care ncearc s rmn integru nciuda a orice, care lupt pentru visele sale i dispreuiete compromisurile. Cum potliteratura, tinerele femei i societatea adopta astfel de modele? Ce prere ai desprefeminism?

Cred c Alexandrie e puternic pentru c a avut un scop precis: s fie independenti s nu sebazeze pe altcineva pentru traiul de zi cu zi. Cele mai bune modele de urmat sunt femeile care

i contureaz singure viaa i au ncrederea de a-i urma visurile. Asta ar putea nsemna s-ilase jobul foarte bine pltit pe care l ursc pentru ceva ce iubesc, i n final s aib o viafericit. mi place o poveste bun de tipul de la zdrene la bogii, dar visurile sunt desprefericire i cred c muli dintre noi uit asta n drumul spre succes.

M consider o feminist pentru c simt cu adevrat c o femeie n-ar trebui s se compromitsau s se bazeze pe o alt persoan cnd crede c n-are alte opiuni. Aceasta e o temrecurent nDansatoarea lui Degas, cnd Alexandrie observ situaia familiei sale i-apoi

ntrevede preul pe care ar trebui s-l plteasc, din punct de vedere moral, dac ar intra nlumea abonailor.

Ct de mult te identifici cu Alexandrie?

Empatizez cu ea pentru c e un pic vistoare, dar muncete foarte mult ca s-i ndelineascvisurile. ncerc s-mi triesc viaa la fel. De fapt, a scrie un roman a fost unul dintre cele maimari visuri ale mele! Am deschis recent o firm de consultan mpreun cu un coleg de-almeu. A fost nfricotor s las sigurana unui salariu regulat, dar n cele din urm a devenit orecompens s dein controlul carierei mele. Cred cu trie c nu trebuie s te trezetidimineaa i s deteti ziua ce ncepe. Atunci este momentul s faci o schimbare pentru cviaa este prea scurt.

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Ce-i place cel mai mult la Edgar Degas, ce te-a marcat n legtur cu biografia ipictura sa?

Am fost uimit de druirea sa pentru art. Am fost surprins s aflu c a avut probleme cuvederea i c a orbit la finalul vieii. Chiar m-a emoionat faptul c a trit pentru arta sa pn

ntr-att, nct la sfritul vieii n-a mai apucat s priveasc tot ce a realizat. E chiar sfietor.

Ballet Rehearsal on Stage Edgar Degas (c. 1874)

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Blue Dancers Edgar Degas (c. 1899)

Te simi mai apropiat de stilul artistic boem, ca Degas, sau preferi o munc organizati concentrat (Alexandrie)?

Cred c puin din amndou. Nu-mi place s stau n spatele unui birou toat ziua i s trag dingreu pe mai multe proiecte creative. Cu toate acestea, sunt destul de organizati concentratcnd vine vorba de a-mi termina proiectele. Mi se pun noduri n stomac la gndul de a rata un

deadline!

Cum i cnd ai nceput s scrii?

Am nceput s scriu n timpul facultii i asta m-a ndreptat spre o licen n jurnalism. Amscris pentru numeroase ziare i-am descoperit c scrisul de propuneri de marketing e o muncstabil.Dansatoarea lui Degas a fost o trud de dragoste care a durat aproape 3 ani de la

nceput pn la publicare. A devenit un proiect special pe care l fceam n plus, i m-amndrgostit pe parcurs de poveste i de personajele ei.

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Ce sfaturi i-ai da unui scriitor aspirant?

Cel mai important lucru e s iubeti ceea ce scrii att de mult, nct s nu conteze dac epublicat sau nu. A scrie ficiune trebuie s fie distractiv i o eliberare emoional la care

doreti s lucrezi n fiecare zi. Odat ce cartea ta prinde contur, d-o unor prieteni sau grupuride lectur s-o citeasci ascult-le feedback-ul. Dup ce simi c e ntr-o form ndeajuns debun pentru a gsi un agent literar s te reprezinte, pregtete-te pentru cei doi R scrisori derespingerei revizuiri. Muli ageni vor gsi motive pentru care nu vor s-i reprezintecartea. Asta poate fi foarte util n revizuirea manuscrisului pentru ca ali poteniali ageni snu aib aceeai reacie. De exemplu, am primit mult feedback c Alexandrie prea puinrsfati antipatic. Am lucrat la revizuirea caracterului ei i-am gsit un agent care aempatizat cu povestea ei.

n opinia ta, cum poate literatura s ne mbunteasc vieile? Cum ai convinge pecineva s nceap s citeasc?

Literatura i ascute mintea pentru c i imaginezi scena n timp ce-o citeti. Este distracieactiv, fa de pasivitatea din faa televizorului. A convinge pe cineva s citeasc oferindu-iceva ce l/o intereseaz. Nu conteaz ct de grea este cartea, att timp ct cititorul o gsetedistractiv. Crile sunt o extraordinar eliberare de cotidian. Orice proaspt printe ar trebuis-i citeasc de mic copilului astfel nct s creasc ntr-un mediu bogat n poveti care-iinflueneaz pozitiv dezvoltarea creierului.

Care sunt scriitorii ti preferai i de ce?

Am devenit interesat de ficiunea istoric dup ce-am citit-o pe Philippa Gregory. mi placpovetile ei bazate pe scandaluri de la curtea regal. Recent am cititNight Film de MarishaPessl i mi-a plcut att de mult c am nceput s citesc imediat i prima ei carte [SpecialTopics in Calamity Physics]. David Sedaris m face s rd n hohote, iar Ann Rule scrie celmai bine genul crime.

Poi s ne spui cte ceva despre cartea la care lucrezi n prezent?

M documentez pe viaa lui Edvard Munch i ncerc s-mi dau seama dac vreau s scriu altroman istoric sau un roman cu aciunea n prezent bazat pe viaa sa. Munch este artistulnorvegian faimos pentru tabloul iptul, i nu m pot stura de personajele nebune de care s-a

nconjurat.

(traducerea/adaptarea Cristina Stan)

*Mai jos putei citi versiunea original, n englez, a interviului.

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Paris unveiled of its illusions, the glamourous period ofbelle poque brought back to life.These are just two of the literary merits ofDancing for Degas, a novel by Kathryn Wagner. Ayoung ballerinas confessions smoothly carry us into a space and time in which art really

mattered and people made important sacrifices for its sake.

Forced by her mother to financially support her poor family, Alexandrie uses her dancingtalent to get into the Opera in Paris and to build a new life, one that does not imply pickinghotpeppers. Her trust in the Operas ballet is shaken when she discovers the ins and outs ofthe relationship between ballerinas and the loving audience, les abonnes who support them.While working hard to earn the ballet-star role and trying to understand the famous painterEdgar Degas, who paints her numerous times, Alexandrie is just savouring la vie parisienne

Wagner fictionally recreates impressionisms frantic spirit, defined by conversations anddebates between Monet, Pissaro and Degas at Caf Guerbois. A story about ambition,

integrity, love and the meaning of art,Dancing for Degas has captivated me from beginningto end thanks to the fresh writing, Alexandries incorruptible character and Degas moodyfigure. Lets meet the author of the novel:

Dancing for Degas can be regarded as an homage to two of the most beautiful arts:ballet and painting. What was the inspiration for putting them together?

What I loved most about writing Dancing for Degas was bringing Degas paintings to life.The research I found on the young ballerinas, the abonnes, and Degas was fascinating and notalways beautiful. Underneath the surface was a juxtaposition of many of ballerinas motivesfor entering the ballet and Degas isolation. This was where I found inspiration for my maincharacter, Alexandries, story.

I think Alexandrie is a very strong character, that tries to stay true to herself in spite ofeverything, fights for her dreams and despises compromises. How can literature, youngwomen and society adopt role models like that? What are your thoughts on feminism?

I think Alexandrie is strong in a relatable way because she had a specific goal to beindependent and not have to rely on another person for her livelihood. I think the best rolemodels are women who shape their own lives and have the confidence to go after theirdreams. This could be leaving a high paying job they hate to pursue something they love, andultimately leading a happier life. I love a good rags to riches story, but dreams are abouthappiness and I think a lot of us forget that along the road to success.I consider myself a feminist because I feel strongly that a woman should never compromiseherself or have to rely on another person because she feels like she doesnt have any otheroptions. This is an ongoing theme in Dancing for Degas as Alexandrie observes her ownfamilys situation and then glimpses into the ethical cost of entering the world of the abonnes.

How much do you identify with Alexandrie?

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I relate to Alexandrie because she is a bit of a dreamer but she works really hard to achieveher dreams. I try to live my life that way as well. In fact, writing a novel was one of myultimate dreams! I recently opened a consulting firm with a colleague of mine. It wasextremely scary to leave the security of a regular paycheck, but ultimately rewarding to be incontrol of my own career. I feel strongly that you should never wake up in the morning and

dread the day ahead. Thats when its time to make a change because life is too short.

What do you like most about Edgar Degas, what struck you in particular about hisbiography and painting?

I was amazed at his dedication to his art. I was surprised to find out that he had struggled withhis sight and went blind at the end of his life. It really struck a chord with me because he livedfor his art to such an extreme that at the end of his life he couldnt even see all that he hadaccomplished. Its heartbreaking, really.

Do you relate to the bohemian way of being an artist, as Degas, or do you prefer theorganised, focused kind of work (Alexandrie)?

I think a little bit of both. I dont like to sit behind a desk all day and thrive on multiple,creative projects. However, Im pretty focused and organized when it comes to completingmy projects. My stomach gets all knotted up at the thought of missing a deadline!

How and when did you start writing?

I started writing in college and that led to a degree in journalism. Ive written for severalnewspapers and have found steady work in proposal writing. Dancing for Degas was a laborof love that took about three years from start to publication. It became a special project that Idid on the side and I fell more and more in love with the story and its characters.

What tips on writing would you give to an aspiring writer?The most important thing is to love what you are writing so much that it doesnt matter if itgets published. Writing fiction should be fun and an emotional release you look forward toworking on every day. Once your book takes shape, give it to friends or reading groups andlisten to their feedback. Once you feel its in good enough shape to find a literary agent torepresent you, get ready for the two Rs rejection letters and revisions. A lot of agents willinclude reasons why they do not want to represent your book. This can be very helpful inrevising the manuscript so other potential agents dont have the same reaction. For example, Igot a lot of feedback that Alexandrie came off as a little spoiled and unlikeable. I worked torevise her character and found an agent who connected with her story.

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In your opinion, how can literature improve ones life?

Literature sharpens your mind because you imagine the scene as you read it. Its activeentertainment, rather than zoning out in front of the television. I would persuade someone to

read by reading something that interests him or her. It doesnt matter how smart the book is as long as the reader finds it entertaining. Books are a great escape from the everyday.Every new parent should read to their child from the start so they grow up in a print-richenvironment that positively affects brain development.

Who are your favourite writers?

I got into historical fiction after reading Philippa Gregory. I love her stories based on thescandal of the courts! I recently read Night Film by Marisha Pessl and loved it so much that I

immediately started reading her first book. David Sedaris makes me laugh out loud and AnnRule writes the best true crime.

Can you give us a little info on what youre working on at the moment?

Im researching the life of Edvard Munch and trying to figure out if I want to write anotherhistorical novel or a present day novel based on his life. Munch is the Norwegian artist mostfamous for The Scream, and I cannot get enough of the crazy characters he surroundedhimself with.

sursa foto i mai multe despre autoare: kathrynwagnerbooks.com