Επιμέλεια συνέντευξης: Εύα Πετροπούλου Λιανού
Dear poet, Honorable. Please share your thoughts about the pandemic and the future of literature..after.
The pandemic was a bad and unexpected experience which in many ways recalled the atmosphere of Manzoni’s pages of the Promessi Sposi, of the plague in Milan. The only sound that people could hear was that of ambulance sirens reminding them to stay indoors as the only defense against the unknown virus which has caused the death of millions of people in the world, the loss of work for many and damaged the whole economy, the full extent of which we can’t determine yet. Undoubtedly it also influenced writers and poets. I hope it made many reflect on human existence, life and death.
It remains to see how many current and forthcoming literary works solicited by the pandemic will stand the test of time and how many writers had the art to transform a topical issue into a timeless classic.
The Good and the Evil. Which is winning nowadays?
The definition of Good and Evil is usually considered a moral problem, the object of reflection by thinkers and intellectuals, but also the point of arrival of a personal path of analysis and knowledge.
In more complex societies establishing what is permitted and what is forbidden is assigned to jurisprudence, i.e. to the state’s laws and in addition to the rules, collective ethics, which is unwritten but widely shared, partly based on customs and traditions partially produced by philosophers, writers, historians, and scientists.
One may wonder if there is absolute Good and Evil or if such ideas are related to different ages and human groups. What is good for one society can be bad for another, and the same action, in different situations, can be evaluated differently within the same community. Killing a man is universally considered a move to condemn. However, it is considered acceptable to kill in self-defense, and killing an enemy in war is viewed as an act of honor to reward.
In the West, a long process of secularizing society has limited religious values to a purely interior sphere and one of conscience. Following this process, it is preferred to speak of a diversity of conceptions relating to Good and Evil, leaving the ultimate choice to the conscience of each one.
Who can say which is the winner or the loser? Peace lovers can just hope Good may prevail over Evil.
Let us know where inspiration is coming from for you.
My inspiration comes from observing men or nature, but it is also true that I often feel called to write, and when the blank page fills with verses reading them is like listening to music never known before. Inspiration is a magical moment, so it is likely to feel something that happens to you rather than something you plan. I usually write in total silence and solitude when the mind can navigate the skies and distant places, and my soul better listens to Euterpe. I can then imagine and give space to emotions and feelings that come out into the open.
Are the people reading books or not?
According to the latest data, the weakest sections of the population with low educational qualifications, low technological level, poor geographical area of residence and those who live in the south read fewer and fewer books. Among other things, the 15-17 age group is the one where we record the most robust decline. But, at the same time, in addition to the decline in readers, there is an increasingly clear worrying polarization between those who have always read and have done so more recently, buying more books and dedicating more time to them and those who do not read.”
The gap has deepened, like other inequalities during the pandemic. Geographical, personal, gender and income differences weigh more on reading than in the past.
Usually, readers prefer prose to poetry even if, thanks to the mass media, the latter has finally come out of its ivory tower. Street poetry and slam poetry have certainly also contributed to this.
How many books have you written? And where can we find your books?
You can find most of the books which follow on Amazon
LiBRI PUBBLICATI
Pertali tra le Nuvole -Rupe Mutevole Bedonia (PR) Italia 2014
Antologia Poetica – Quorum Edizioni- Italia 2015
Dancing Winds- Writers Capital Press Kochi India 2016
Whispers from the Blue – Global Fraternity of Poets Gurgaon Haryana India 2016
Seagulls in the Blue – Global Fraternity of Poets – Gurggoan India 2017
Polvere di Stelle / Sturs Dust – Le Mezzelane – Santa Maria Nuova (AN) Italia- 2018
Confluence – The Poetry Society of India- Gurugram Haryana India 2019
Trident – Love War and Peace Vasavi printers Warangal india 2020
Farfalle Colorate Le Mezzelane-Editore 2022 Italia
Coloured Batterflies Global Fraternity of Poets 2023 -India
BOOKS TRANSLATED AND PUBLISHED IN ITALY
Le più Grandi Opere del Poeta laureato Yayati Madan Gandhi- The Poetry Society of India -2015
Tra Realtà e Sogno – Quorum Edizioni – Italia 2019
Arcobaleno – Le Mezzelane Santa Maria Nuova (AN) Italia 2020
Labirinto di Pensieri – Le Mezzelane Santa Maria Nuova (An) Italia 2020
Maschere -CTL edition Livorno Italy 2020
Appendo i miei sogni ogni notte. Le Mezzelane Santa Maria Nuova (An) 2021
Nella casa dell’Anima – CTL Editore Livorno 2021
Another face of the Sky Bongu Narsing Rao- Night in Gale ed 2021 India
COME CREBBERO I GEMELLI MILUTIN DJURICKOVIC CTL ITALY 2022
TRANSLATIONS OF MY COLLECTIONS INTO FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Nuk kam kohë për ëndrrat IWA BODGANI 2020, Bruksel- Prishtinë
నాట్యం చేసే గాలులు VASAVI PRINTRERS J.P.N WARANGAL- INDIA 2018
W MITOZIE JESTEŚMY KRÓLEM I KRÓLOWA Aljcia Kuberska USA 2019
RRETH DY BOTEVE IWA Bodgani EDITION 2019 Bruksel- Prishtinë
ربّما ….كان في انتظار غودو Fethi le Poète PUBBLICAZIONI ICAR BAGHDAD 2020
Do you believe that our life, destiny, is written, or can we change it?
It is a question that many have asked themselves. Still, there has yet to be an acceptable answer, considering that neither of the two possibilities has been scientifically demonstrated. Of course, it would be intriguing to know why we are on this planet and how much power we have to decide our lives. But many variables are in play, each hard for humans to understand.
For ages, prophets and theologians have talked about free will and destiny. Destiny, often explained as a predetermined course of events, is attributed to divine power or force. It signifies that certain circumstances and outcomes are fated to happen and cannot be changed, regardless of the actions or choices of an individual. On the other hand, free will equates to the concept that humans have the power to make their own choices and decisions independent of any predetermined fate or destiny. One of the earliest prophets, Zarathustra’s teachings were about the importance of choosing the path of righteousness. He emphasized that humans have free will and can choose which way to follow. Islamic philosophy and the Catholic religion affirm that God has granted men free will. This means that individuals are responsible for their choices and the consequences of those choices, even though life’s events often make us believe that things may occur independently of human control.
Religion is the cause of many wars- many people say that. What do you think?
Over the centuries, many conflicts have occurred for religious reasons, but it seems complicated to consider religion as the primary cause of war. From the eleventh to the thirteenth century, the leading countries of the European continent sent crusaders with the official objective of reconquering Jerusalem and the Promised Land. However, one cannot think that all this was moved only by religious interests. Vital economic, commercial and strategic interests were at stake. Moving further into the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, we find the French Wars of Religion between Catholics and Protestant Huguenots and the Thirty Years’ War. Even in these cases, however, different interests were at stake. In more recent and current times, we can mention the controversial and long-standing issue of Northern Ireland, whose divisions between Protestants and Catholics are part of significant social and historical problems concerning relations with Great Britain. The religious wars are not caused only by reasons of faith. Most of the time, they are due to the desire for dominance.
Does money bring happiness?
Despite the efforts of behavioral scientists and psychologists alike, a definitive way to measure happiness has not yet been found. The question of whether money buys happiness and how we answer this question has significant implications in our lives because it directly affects our choices. Money helps to live a decent life and can give dignity to man, but it doesn’t provide happiness. You can’t purchase it. I have not found it for sale anywhere in the world. Money and happiness are two very different concepts. Money is tangible; you can quantify it and know exactly how much you have at any given time. Conversely, happiness is subjective, elusive, and has different meanings for different people. Happiness is not a lasting condition but relative to moments. To enjoy it, one should know how to appreciate the beauty of a flower or a sunset, the smile of a child or the fresh air of a spring morning, and feel emotions which belong to the soul.
E-book or Hardcover book? What will be the future?
The e-book expresses modernity; it certainly offers a further opportunity for readers. But the real ones love and will continue to love the hardcover book, to smell the printed paper, leaf through its pages, and feel it as a personal object to place in a library and pick up again at any time. I still remember the books of my first readings, their covers, and their images, and still perceive their smell.
A study has shown that despite the apparent ease and familiarity with digital media, the young do not have the critical and analytical skills to evaluate the information they find on the web. It also emerged that online text activates non-sequential reading modes, characterized by fast scanning and skimming of information. This method would lead to significant neurological differences compared to the in-depth reading of a sequential text. The reading process and the experience people have on a digital text are strongly influenced by the fact that they make navigation choices, process a multiplicity of sensory stimuli.
All this seems to distract the brain from interpreting the text. There would be risk factors, such as the impoverishment and lowering of cognitive skills and of neurological cultural benefits.
What do you think about the year of technology? Are we lost ourselves inside the mobile phone, the computers…..
Modern technology is a significant asset to our society. It helps manage production in every field of life, to work more effectively with less effort, money, and time. We live in an era where machines are involved in almost every field of human life. Modern technology makes our society more connected and efficient. There is no doubt that technology has had a profound impact on society. It has changed the way we live, work, and communicate with each other. The cell phone and the computer are tools that have improved the quality of life. They brought immediacy of communication and the ease of finding helpful information. I see the computer as a window to the world. Thanks to noteworthy people, technology goes on, and we must accept it, knowing how to use it well.
Environmental issues. Is the progress in technology and humans responsible for all these disasters? Why?
A wish for 2023.
Environmental pollution is not a new phenomenon, yet it remains the world’s most significant problem facing humanity. Man’s activities through urbanization, industrialization, mining, and exploitation are at the forefront of global environmental pollution. Developed and developing nations share this burden, though awareness and stricter laws have contributed to a more considerable extent in protecting their environment. The global attention towards pollution is still being felt due to its severe long-term consequences. Every country should collaborate in the fight against pollution and proffers solutions for a sustainable environment and health.
I wish the readers of Prodigy Magazine to believe in a better future and to give their contribution to making this happen.
