Interview With Author Elwin Lorne Wirkala
1. What inspired you to write this book? Love of poetry. A prof at the U of Mexico
praised my translation of Sor Juana's Dream to the skies and
encouraged my to publish. That and my love of poetry and of Sor Juana.
2. What exactly is it about and who
is it written for? It's a translation of Sor Juana's masterpiece,
in my opinion the greatest poem in the Spanish language or English for that
matter. It's a true masterpiece with hidden prompts to profound thinking about
thinking. The book translates the poem side-by-side and line by line with the
original, after which it copies samples of Sor Juana's literary sources (The
Dryden and Sandys translations of Ovid's Metamorphoses , The Bible,
etc., after which I offer explanations of topics that come up in the poem
(eagle lore, the war between the pygmies and the cranes, much else.) Then my
opinions, for what they're worth, on the poem as a whole. It's considered a
cryptic poem, but it presents a simple view of how to approach, and how not to
approach, divinity...basically, like Pico della Mirandola's "Oration on
the Dignity of Man" it conveys a surprisingly simple message about the
nature of salvation/soteria independent of creed and Cross (though Sor Juana
was a nun), and is in essence based on the Greek philosophical points about the
importance of virtue in the cultivation of wisdom. Written for lovers of
literature and especially poetry, but will probably find some readers in the
"Sorjuanista" community. While it's considered a poem about
intellectual disappointment at failure to achieve holistic all-at-once vision
of the Cosmos, it's also about why we fail...so it explains the journey of the
soul, so to speak, from the Platonic and Neoplatonic perspective with some
forays into Buddhism, Spinoza, etc.
3. What do you hope readers will get out
of reading your book? A clear grasp of what Aldous Huxley explains
in his The Perennial Philosophy , the wisdom tradition at the core
of "organized religion". Also: an understanding of the need for
integration of mind and soul, left and right modes of thought. I've provided
many quotes from neuroscientists and students of brain-mind (Roger Sperry,
Robert Ornstein, Iain McGilchrist, etc.)
4. How did you decide on your book’s title and
cover design? Intuitively, I suppose. And serendipitously.
An original portrait of Sor Juana surfaced at the Colnaghi Gallery after 350
years in a private collection, so it became a shoo-in for the cover. Also, a
couple of university profs gave me some truly unexpected praise, so that
accounts for the back cover. The spine is red because I like bright color. The
covers are white because white is bright and cheery unless you're a fan of
Melville.
5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have
for fellow writers – other than run!? Follow your bliss, as Campbell said. Don't try
to write for an audience in order to garner a writerly reputation. Be as
sincere as possible, which ain't easy. Pride is a spoiler, which is the main
source of First Dream 's drama and also humor.
6. What trends in the book world do you see --
and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? Everything is always going to hell and heaven;
technology is creating opportunities for lone wolves like yours truly to
actually be present in major for all over the world, so in that sense it's
providing all kinds of access to all kinds of people, both readers and writers.
I like the fact that e-readers have not killed the physical book publishing
industry.
7. Were there experiences in your
personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? Getting sensitized to poetry in
childhood...maybe it's in the DNA, as some ancestors were also sensitive to
poetry. Learning Spanish and Portuguese obviously allowed me to become a
translator. Having an ear sensitive to the articulatory "dance"
and its beauty when issuing from a true poet like Sor Juana, whose rhythms and
so on are like a magic carpet for what she means to convey. Also, I began to
read her at an interval in life that was not easy. I needed great art and deep
philosophy "as the hart panteth after the water brook", so to speak.
Never thought a book might be in the offing. Oh. I was praised in a letter to a
friend by the late Jean Garrigue, who called me her "star" (blush
blush) and a prof who's writing her biography contacted me and sent me that
letter. Also, poet-prof Frederick Turner told me he was "moved" and
so on by my translation of Quevedo's "From the Tower", which is about
the value of reading in terms of self-betterment. My professor and mentor friend
at the U. of Mexico gushed me into the thought that maybe I should actually
write the book displayed at Frankfurt.
8. How would you describe your writing style?
Which writers or books is your writing similar to? Sir Richard Burton (the 19th century Burton)
translates in the way folks say I do...that is, one follows deictics, the
'beat', the vocal register (frontal cononants, gutturals, etc., which are not
accidental if the poet is genuine). Robert Graves ("To Juan at the Winter
Solstice", the first strophe, tells it like I see it). Richard Wilbur.
Robert Frost, in a small way. Emily Dickinson's "A loss of something ever
felt I" sums me up as well as her.
9. What challenges did you overcome in the
writing of this book? I'm still in a muddle of challenges, but the
basic format is there. Since I have strong opinions on religious myth as well
as spiritual opportunity along Platonic and Neoplatonic lines (like Sor Juana),
I'm trying to root out my tendency to rant. It's like when I translate: after
awhile, in some sense, the words seem to begin to shuffle of themselves and
that's really special.
10. If people can buy or read one book this
week or month, why should it be yours? Assuming they have the Einsteinian
"cosmic religious" feeling, and are not too fanatical about whatever
creed, if any, they were born in or converted to, and if they enjoy the
thoughts and guidance of deep thinkers as opposed to what Graves calls
"mere gleemen", then they will enjoy and perhaps profit from the many
citations I include in the book. Many are called but few are chosen! Also,
non-Spanish-speaking book lovers interested in Sor Juana may be drawn to my
book because the translation has been deemed praiseworthy. Others, mystified by
but attracted to Primero Sueño may be interested in my claim,
which seems outrageous, to actually understand the poem. Women may be drawn to
it. Sor Juana may justifiably be called the author of the first feminist
manifesto in the Americas. What a genius. Learned to read at 3, Latin at
8...and I think my book does justice to her deep understanding of life and the
world.
About The Author : "Telegraphically yours": Former
logger in youth. Rodeo experience (bareback bronc). Master's Degree. Peace
Corps Volunteer. 21 years in South America. Wife (Argentine) introduced me to
Sor Juana. Sensitized to poetry in childhood. Memory full of poems. Married, 3
daughters, 6 granddaughters. Translator. Former language instructor at U. of
Washington. Former English teacher to president of Brazil. Fluent in Portuguese
and Spanish. For more information, please see: https://elwinspoetrytranslations.blogspot.com/ .
Need Book Marketing Help?
Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning
blog, can be reached at [email protected] He
is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow
their brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping
thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and
motivator!
About Brian Feinblum
Brian Feinblum should be followed on LinkedIn. This is
copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2023. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now
resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue
dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The
Writer and IBPA’s The Independent. This
award-winning blog has generated over 3.4 million pageviews. With 4,600+ posts
over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by
BookBaby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018
as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by
www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades,
including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book
publicity firm, and two jobs at two independent presses, Brian has worked with
many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with
best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen,
Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard,
Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C.
Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a
panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA,
Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction
Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland)
Writers Association, APEX, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association.
His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal,
USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News
(Westchester) and The Washington Post . He has been featured in The
Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald . For more information, please consult:
www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum .
