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🦋 Reverence
I'm slightly surprised at (or surprised that I am surprised at) the reverent picture Rivera Letelier paints of the Christ of Elqui. I think my expectation going in was that he would be a Quixote figure; and there is that quality, a comedy of errors aspect to his mission in the desert.* But beyond that, his reverence is treated very respectfully, painted with a sincere, complex brush. Here is part of a sermon to the striking workers:
His arms open forming a crucifix, the intense dark of his eyes flaring up, he spoke to convince his congregation that the desert is
 «Atardecer en Atacama»
por Andrés RodrÃguez Morado
the place where one feels oneself most absolutely in the presence of the Eternal Father: the most perfect spot for speaking with Him.
— And it is not for nothing; as the Holy Bible tells us, even Christ himself spent forty days in the desert before he came out to preach his good news. And even so, O my brothers: not everything in this world is evil. You, sirs, have something which is worth more than gold and silver put together. The silence of the desert. The purest, finest silence anywhere on the planet; thus the most conducive for each one of you, to finding his own soul, the most suitable for listening to his God, for hearing the voice of the Eternal Father.
 * (This expectation may also have been shaped by the focus of my attention while I was reading and translating the first chapter, which does have a sort of broadly comic or slapstick tragic feel to it.)
posted afternoon of Saturday, December 4th, 2010
➳ More posts about The Art of Resurrection
➳ More posts about Hernán Rivera Letelier
➳ More posts about Readings
➳ More posts about Translation
➳ More posts about Writing Projects
➳ More posts about Projects
Today I bought a couple of Rivera Leterier's books: Fatamorgana de Amor con Banda de Música and Los Trenes se Van al Purgatorio. Funnily enough I couldn't find El Arte de la Resurrección here, so I picked those, consciously avoiding his most known works to the general public here.
I've just started with Fatamorgana.. and it looks interesting, it seems it'll be a fun reading. It's been a while since last time I've checked a chilean writer, I'd say my last one was Alberto Fuguet around a couple of years ago.
posted afternoon of December 6th, 2010 by Jorge López
Cool... are his best known works there La reina Isabel cantaba rancheras and Santa MarÃa de las flores negras? Those are the two I see referenced most frequently on Spanish-language pages dealing with his work. Let me know how you like Fatamorgana -- it sounds like there is a strong link running through his body of work.
posted evening of December 6th, 2010 by Jeremy
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