The journalist Juan Luis Cano grew to become well-known for his humorous radio program, Gomaespuma. This storyteller, as he defines himself, has already printed seven solo titles. His newest novel has simply arrived in bookstores. In ‘I used to be a saint’, Cano outlines the trail {that a} hoax can take when he’s effectively concocted
Juan Luis Cano is half of Gomaespuma, the well-known radio program through which, along with Guillermo Fesser, he made a number of generations of our nation snort from the eighties to 2007. A journalist by coaching and vocation, he confesses to NIUS that the essence of life discover it within the tales. “I’ve all the time favored telling them and, in lots of instances, inventing them.”
And that’s what he has achieved once more in his newest novel, Yo fui santa (MenosCuarto publishing home), taking us to a fictional universe of Marian apparitions the place he reveals how a fraud can flip a lady into the protagonist and sufferer of surreal occasions.
To face this new story, Cano has turn into extra critical than regular. “The language he used just isn’t humorous as a result of he felt it wanted one other kind of narrative,” he explains. But irony and black humor inevitably find yourself creeping into his pages. “It comes out unintentionally as a result of humor is one thing that I’ve connected to my being,” he admits.
Although the story takes place within the 70s, in the midst of the twentieth century, what it narrates could be very present and is harking back to episodes not so distant that sometimes dominate the entrance pages of the information media.
Q. What was it that you just needed to inform within the novel?
R. How a hoax, a lie, can turn into one thing very large if the story is effectively constructed and individuals are prepared to consider it.
Q. It could be very present, it appears that evidently as a substitute of Marian apparitions you might be speaking about ‘faux information’
R. The ‘faux information’ or false information -which I like to make use of the time period in Spanish as a result of our language has a brutal richness- are one thing that has existed since man started to speak, since we started to speak to one another others. What occurs is that now there’s something that didn’t exist earlier than, which is know-how and social networks, which have acted as an unimaginable accelerator. But faux information and lies and hoaxes have existed since man existed.
Q. Are we straightforward to idiot?
R. Rather we lack info. Knowing if one thing is true or false requires effort and prior information. So the extra uninformed individuals are, the better it’s to make them consider issues that aren’t true and the easier the message, the better it’s to be transmitted, to unfold at excessive velocity and to finish up believing.
When you keep on the floor, within the easy message, and don’t inform your self extra, when you don’t attempt to scratch just a little extra within the story that they’re telling you, clearly you consider it. And that’s the very significant issue and the best hazard that we have now proper now with synthetic intelligence.
A. Yes, it scares me loads, however not due to the truth that professions are going to vanish as a result of that has occurred earlier than all through the historical past of humanity as society has progressed. The downside and the hazard that I see and what scares me is exactly what we’re speaking about, how false tales, how these biases are going for use in a fully ruthless manner by those that need energy at any price. . That’s the actual concern that provides me. He who dominates the story, dominates all the pieces.
Q. Why did you select a Marian apparition as an enormous lie?
A. Because the spiritual phenomenon of apparitions has all the time caught my consideration. Well, the spiritual phenomenon on the whole, however the apparitions specifically, particularly since they carry a really giant and really fascinating sociological load related to them. For the e-book I’ve documented loads. I’ve studied all of them, Garabandal, El Escorial, Medjugorje, Fátima, Lourdes, Palmar de Troya…
Q. What have you ever present in frequent?
R. Well look, in frequent that every one, completely all, comply with the identical course of. First the visionary seems. Then the Church denies. Then a patron comes into play, adopted by somebody from what within the Catholic faith is named the setting, that’s, a priest who principally acts as a non secular information for the visionary. And when that grows and turns into a spot of pilgrimage, the church accepts.
Q. The ones you touch upon are apparitions from the final century. Do you assume that right now if a brand new Marian apparition arose it might have an echo?
A. Of course. There are phenomena of this sort absolutely in pressure resembling Medjugorje and El Escorial. And folks hold going to Lourdes and hold going to Fatima. And there are even political teams that marketing campaign in Covadonga, that’s, it’s completely legitimate.
Q. Why do you assume it nonetheless impacts sure sectors of the inhabitants?
A. Well, faith is one thing to cling to. When folks have deficiencies, important or financial, it provides them some extent of assist, it provides them hope. You simply need to see the place faith is stronger in the present day, I’m speaking about religions on the whole, not concerning the Catholic faith, and the place they’re stronger remains to be within the poorest international locations, the place individuals are most determined . And proper now you go to any convent in Spain and of the few remaining nuns, most come from very poor international locations.
Q. In your novel the story takes place in an setting marked by shortage as effectively
A. Yes, and due to hopelessness, due to the harshness of life, which makes you cling to one thing that illuminates your future and even your current.
Q. Where do you place the motion?
R. It is about in an indeterminate mining city within the Sil basin, within the province of Leon, through the years when coal was a declare and the mine was the livelihood of many individuals. The protagonist lady’s household is marked by a scarcity of assets and, in her case, additionally by a scarcity of affection. Her life adjustments fully when a neighbor says she has seen a miraculous gentle within the place the place the little lady retains her childhood treasures. The story turns into extra difficult as different characters, together with the village priest or his personal mom, turn into a part of an enormous fraud from which it’s tough to flee. A divine novel, however very down right here, as I’ve mentioned every so often.
I moved to that space for some time to doc myself in depth concerning the mining period in these lands. I fell in love with what they instructed me and the setting. I used to be amazed by the fantastic thing about that a part of León, with these spectacular chestnut forests, cities like Villablino, Toreno… It has been a really lovely and enriching expertise.
Q. How far can a lie go?
A. As far as individuals are prepared to consider and so far as the best way through which the story is organized provides it a say.
Q. It has simply been printed, however Yo fue Santa has already given you numerous pleasure
R. Yes, the actual fact of presenting the e-book to the Ateneo-Ciudad de Valladolid Award and having reached a finalist is an incredible shot of phantasm, as a result of it’s the second oldest award in Spain and never solely folks from right here, but in addition from Hispanoamerica. Having reached the ultimate I already dwell it as a prize. And additionally with such a prestigious jury, as a result of it was made up of the writers Gustavo Martín Garzo, Care Santos, Manuel Vilas… I could not be extra grateful.
Q. You have already been capable of signal on the Madrid Book Fair. What ‘suggestions’ have you ever acquired from folks?
R. I signed loads and the reality is that I felt the love of the folks to the fullest. The e-book has simply come out however the opinions of those that have already learn it are very constructive. Many additionally got here to thank me for the corporate I stored them for years with Gomaespuma, the love of the folks is valuable.
Q. I think about that being a part of one thing like Gomaespuma, which transcends, makes a definitive mark…
A. Sure. Gomaespuma could have began as a radio program, however ultimately it grew to become a manner of decoding life, a manner of being and seeing the world. And I feel that the individuals who heard us understood it that manner, as a result of they listened to us not solely as a result of they had fun, but in addition as a result of they recognized with our manner of understanding actuality. And I feel that this has made us have a really vital intimacy with our viewers that has marked us and them as effectively. There are individuals who nonetheless use foam rubber phrases (laughs).
In reality, though this system ended, we proceed with the Gomaespuma Foundation, and with it we begin many tasks, particularly to assist kids with training. It is a manner of seeing life by placing a smile on it.
Q. What is humor for you?
R. It is as I inform you a manner of seeing and dealing with life and in my case it’s carefully linked to optimism. Laughing has all the time helped me to get forward, to dwell happier. It’s nearly egocentric, as a result of while you snort it creates an awesome environment round you, and who does not wish to spend as a lot time as potential in a pleasant setting?
Also, having devoted my life to creating folks have a superb time, amongst different issues, is one thing I really feel very happy with.
Q. What do you retain, with the radio that gave you a lot pleasure or with literature?
R. It is that they aren’t unique. I do not know what I might stick with… perhaps with the radio, but in addition as a result of the radio has been a little bit of the mom home from which all the pieces else has come. It has been the place the place I’ve developed as an expert and as an individual as effectively. So, from that mom home, the potential of doing many different issues has arisen, together with writing.
Q. How would you want folks to face your new novel?
R. With a fully open thoughts and ready to see what it provides you. Without any preconceived concept. It is totally different from all that I’ve written earlier than. The solely factor I would really like is for them to know that I write with whole honesty. I write what I need with none kind of affect, resembling tendencies.
I do know that proper now what’s triumphant, what everybody writes and buys, are thrillers, crime novels or suspense, however I cease writing a criminal offense novel, though I do know that it might promote it significantly better. Or a e-book with humor, which is what folks like that I write, and that I’ll certainly do once more, however at this second I wanted to inform a narrative that folks would take pleasure in but in addition make them mirror. And honesty is one thing important, to write down and to dwell.
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