Vivian Mansour: Lucha Libre with a Sense of Humor
By Carmen Ospina -- Críticas, 9/15/2005
A loyal fan of lucha libre, a Mexican version of wrestling featuring colorful masked men, children’s author Vivivan Mansour explores the identity that hides behind one of these masks in her latest book, El enmascarado de lata (The Tin Wrestler, to be reviewed in October). Born in Mexico, Mansour has worked in radio, television, and advertising. Her witty plots and sense of humor have earned her two prestigious literary awards in Mexico.
What inspired you to write a story about lucha libre?
| Books by Manzur |
Do you like lucha libre?
Yes, I actually attend lucha libre functions on a regular basis. In fact, last week I took my three-year-old son and eight-year-old nephew. In Mexico, this spectacle is almost a family event. Something unheard of happens in the stands: young and old can yell bad words to the rival of their fighter.
Familias familiares (Familiar Families) explores the insecurities of a child towards his relatives, La vida útil de Pillo Polilla (The Useful Life of Pillo the Moth) deals with the importance of reading. How do you choose the themes of your books, and are there are any autobiographical elements in your stories?
Generally, my ideas come from things that I see or that happen to me. There may be a sudden impulse that tells me: “There’s a story hiding here, liberate it!” I also try to be very empathetic with the world of childhood that I lived. I remember that being young wasn’t easy or completely marvelous, and that one wasn’t necessarily naïve. This is exactly why I think a good sense of humor can serve as a lifesaver.
Indeed, your books reflect a great sense of humor. Why do you consider humor important? Does your sense of humor change as you write books for different age groups?
I believe that sometimes laughing a little can be the best way to resolve a situation. Of course, readers can interpret a writer’s sense of humor in different ways, and since humor is transgressive by nature, it can also be polemical at times. But I don’t mind taking this risk. As for your second question, I don’t think my sense of humor varies according to the audience that I write for. I’m not an author who tries to “translate” or “adapt” to an audience, and I think young readers appreciate this about my work.
Tell us a little more about your childhood and the authors who influenced your writing.
I remember reading, with great enjoyment, a collection of classics that included Tartarín de Tarascón, Pimpinela Escarlata (The Scarlet Pimpernel), El conde de Montecristo (The Count of Montecristo), and my favorite, Cyrano de Bergerac, with whom I immediately identified because of his eccentricity and big nose. The curious thing is that the themes in these books were not completely childish. Julio Verne, for instance, did not write in easy language and his plots weren’t simple either. And still, these were wonderful works!
One of the most important moments in my reading career was when I discovered that you could actually READ humor! Let me explain: When one is young, the written word never ceases to be imposing and solemn. One assumes that books must always be serious, scientific. I realized this was not the case when reading Jerome K. Jerome’s Tres hombres en una barca (Three Men in a Boat). I was enthralled to know that you could use writing to transmit irony and sarcasm, and to create hilarious and flippant characters. A short story by Camilo José Cela titled Como el lento crecer de la cutícula (Like the Slow Growth of Cuticles), had the same effect on me, and so did Giovanni Guareschi’s saga Don Camilo.
Your books are now available in the United States where many librarians and teachers will be considering them for their Hispanic students. What do think of this opportunity?
I had never thought about Spanish-speaking children in the States reading my books. This opportunity has been very gratifying, and at the same time, it has come with great responsibility. I hope to continue having bridges with these readers so that we can fly together with the pages of my books. Nothing marks your life so deeply as the books you read when you’re young. It is in this early stage of life that you possess your most prodigious memory and sensibility.
In which ways do you think your stories translate or apply to the experience of Latino children in this country? What kind of impact do you think your books can have on U.S. readers?
I believe that for young U.S. Hispanics, reading is twice as important. My books will introduce these readers to new worlds, to children who look and act like them, but also to those who are completely different. They will connect these kids to other countries and they will also take them far away from their reality…I don’t know if my books will make children wiser, but they will definitely make them happier.
Do you currently have a new book on the works?
I think writers are always working on something. Some story ideas remain raw, while others burn. The key is to find the perfect baking temperature for each tale. So yes, I have a few books sitting in my computer’s oven.
| ||||||||
Carlos Rodríguez Martorell is a Spanish editor and journalist living in New York City.
Talkback
Related Content
Related Content
There are no other articles related to this article.
View All Blogs
