THE WORLD CHANGES AT A BLISTERING PACE, and literature is no exception. Those who have enjoyed Irene Vallejo’s gem —that absolute jewel, Papyrus (El infinito en un junco)— know that the way we transmit stories is a living organism, forever mutating.
It all started with the voice. Socrates refused to write, not because he didn't know how, but out of conviction: he believed paper killed the essence of the word. For him, a story had to live in the memory and transform with every telling, adapting to the moment with new nuances. Then came reading aloud; for centuries, it occurred to no one to read in silence. Later, we discovered the intimacy of parchment, the withdrawal into silence, and finally, the book as we know it today.
We moved timidly from paper to mobile screens, but the format remained traditional.
Until now.
The future of literature no longer resides in the static word alone. It is expanded literature. Today, through that device that never leaves your side, reading becomes a total experience: text merges with visual plots, music, the creak of a door, a heartbeat, or the crackle of flames.
My new collection of poems, Sueño con grandes superficies lisas, is precisely that. It is not just verses; it is videos, live streams, wrapped in sonic atmospheres. It is poetry in its maximum extension.
It is good to look back. It is fascinating to read about the birth of Surrealism in the cafés of Zurich and Paris, or to understand how the first Impressionists reacted to photography—the history of art is necessary. But the present is happening right now, by your side. HERE.
On March 21st, we are presenting Sueño con grandes superficies lisas with the publisher Las 15 Letras. Don’t miss it, because first times don't happen twice.
Socrates would have been thrilled by this invention. A book of recited poetry! Some of it even from memory.
Have a good day, inhabitants. Enjoy.
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