SECOND TV INTERVIEW

With the help of the man from the local computer shop, I have at last been able to upload the second TV interview about the poetry book translation onto youtube. Well, he did it, really, and it took 3 hours!

Antonio Lonardo and Pat Eggleton interviewed by Fabio Pompeo Iacono on reteiblea, 11.6.09.

English transcript:

FPI: Antonio Lonardo’s poetic adventure having begun almost by chance, it is with great pleasure that we now welcome a fourth paperback volume to this much appreciated series; this volume contains an output which is lyrical in every sense of the word.

He has participated in many national and international literary competitions, for which he has entered single poems, unpublished collections and his first book, Desiderio di Luce [Wishing for Light], which has received no less than ten prizes in just two years.

For Lonardo, writing poetry is a game of chance, as is, for the most part, entering poetry competitions: whenever he takes on the challenge, his work becomes better appreciated in various parts of Italy and it is often listed among the winners in the final results, even when the competition has been fierce.

[From dust cover notes by Antonio Daniele for Le stagioni del Cuore and Il Profumo del Pensiero.]

AL: Well, I'm half a teacher and this literary intention came to me from very far away. I was born in the Province of Avellino and I became a teacher. I've been in Modica since 1983. First I taught middle school and then I taught at the Archimede Economic Liceo [ITCS Archimede]. I started writing in 1977 when I had a bereavement. My fiancée died and I was grieving over this loss. From this all the rest came about. Obviously I couldn't go on crying so I thought about new themes, those that reflected my cultural interests, such as foreign politics, the observation of reality and the heart, my own heart. I dedicated many poems to my family, friends, to others and myself. Obviously all this happened after a lot of observation and deep meditation about my great interests.

I've had the courage to enter many poetry competitions and in 3 years I've won 40 prizes, some of them quite important ones, for single poems, collections and the works I've published since 2005. The highest honour I've received is the President of the Republic's Medal, awarded at Buggiano in Pistoia 2 years ago.

PE: I write a blog about my experiences in Sicily. I happened to be at the launch of AL's second collection and I asked him if I could write about him and translate one of his poems for the blog. He agreed, read the blog article and then contacted me to ask if I'd be interested in translating a new collection. I said I would.

I found the work both interesting and demanding because it's not enough to know the meaning: you have to find the word that is exactly right, let's say the most poetic and musical word. You have to find the right word in all translation but poetry is different. For example, in the poem Metamorfosi we have the word linguaggio. In English , "language" means language in general. We don't have a word to [collectively] describe particular types of language. Finally I decided to use the word "language" in the translation and render its sense in the rest of the verse. There are always decisions like this to make.

Then there are grammatical aspects. English syntax is different, for example . Sometimes I had to change not only the word order but the punctuation - in fact, the entire verse structure.

Il Poeta is read in Italian and in English.

COMPLIMENTI, ANTONIO!

Antonio Lonardo and I were interviewed about the poetry book [see sidebar] again today, this time by the journalist Fabio Pompeo Iacono for Reteiblea.

Soon after the interview Antonio learned that he has been awarded a poetry prize, for Giochi di Specchi, by the comune of Belzano di San Pietro [Asti, Piemonte]. This is Antonio's 41st poetry prize in 3 years! I am sure that all who have been enjoying his poetry on this blog would wish to join me in congratulating him.

A LITERARY SATURDAY

Last night, in the splendid surroundings of Modica's Hotel Palazzo Failla, I attended the launch of the journalist Fabio Pompeo Iacono's collection of articles, L'Occhio Siderale. The book was published and the event organised by the Caffè Letterario Quasimodo:




Above: The Hotel Palazzo Failla.





Above: Fabio Pompeo Iacono and panel; Fabio Pompeo Iacono.

A very interesting evening ensued for, instead of the usual format of an introduction to the author's work by several experts and then a reading by the author himself, Fabio Iacono invited audience comment and questions and everything from the state of Modica today to the nature of journalism was discussed.

Let me give you a flavour of Fabio Iacono's writing [I quote here with his permission]:

"Si, gli edifici più antichi cercano di spiegare le loro ragioni ai presenti, ma quasi nessuno li ascolta. Se non fosse stato per il tradimento degli uomini e della natura matrigna che nel 1902, per mezzo di due torrenti impetuosi, volle spazzare via tante vite con la conseguente eliminazione dei loro letti, oggi Corso Umberto 1, con i suoi ponticelli, sarebbe una piccola Venezia, un cioccolatino irresistibile per connazionali, francesi, tedeschi ed europei in genere.

Yes, the oldest buildings [in Modica] try to explain their existence to the newer ones, but hardly anyone listens. Had it not been for the treachery of man and harsh nature, which, by means of two raging torrents in 1902, decided to sweep away so many lives along with the subsequent destruction of the river-beds,* the Corso Umberto 1, with its bridges, would today be a little Venice, an irresistible, precious chocolate for fellow-Italians, French, Germans and Europeans in general."

* The river was paved over after the terrible flood of 1902.

I very much like this style of writing, in which one can imagine the lovely old buidings having feelings and wanting to speak to us. The image of Modica as a "cioccolatino" , a reference, of course, to its current fame as the home of pure chocolate, is, I think, a delightful one.

During the discussion it emerged that what strikes Fabio Iacono about the south is its reluctance to change and this is something to which I have referred many times on this blog. To me this is both a good and a bad thing, for, whilst it means that culinary, religious and family traditions are, for the most part, preserved, it also leads to a "culture of acceptance" in which poor public services and corruptible politicians remain in place because this is the way it has always been.

I will say no more because if you are interested in the south of Italy, in Modica and in good Italian writing , you will want to read the book!