Raúl Flores
by Sampsonia Way / August 5, 2013 / No comments
Writer, artist and critic Raúl Flores (b. La Habana, 1977). He currently resides in Havana City.
A big fan of Anglo music, he is already one of the greatest melomaniacs of the Caribbean islands, with a prodigious memory for band names and members, as well as lyrics and biographic details. His digital collection of films, soundtracks and albums is considered a reference across generations. Consequently, music signs the entirety of his narrative style.
He writes both in Spanish and English, and quite a lot, having obtained most of the national literary awards and creative writing grants. In Cuba, he has published El lado oscuro de la luna (Extramuros, 2000), El hombre que vendió el mundo (Letras Cubanas, 2001), Bronceado de luna (Extramuros, 2003), Días de lluvia (Unicornio, 2004), Rayo de luz (Abril, 2005), Balada de Jeanette (Loynaz, 2007), La carne luminosa de los gigantes (Abril, 2008) and Paperback writer (Matanzas, 2010).
He is currently involved in the parallel writing of two books: Ella quería ser escritora and La chica más hermosa del mundo.
His short-stories and literary critiques have been published in magazines and anthologies from Cuba, Spain, USA, Dominican Republic, Italy, Mexico and Brazil.
He was the head of the digital literary magazine, 33 y un tercio, an independent project that released 14 editions from 2004 to 2012.
As a cultural promoter, from 2004 to 2008, he conducted “Polaroid Space,” a venue for underground music, audiovisuals, performances and literary readings that took place in the very heart of El Vedado, in modern Havana.
He is a member of the Cuban Writers and Artist Union (UNEAC).
Interview with Raúl Flores by Ahmel Echevarría
“I am interested in the intertextuality between music and literature. I conceive my books as a musician does his records. Including putting myself on the cover because if a musician is on the cover of his album, can’t a writer be on the cover of his book? Or does he always have to accept the role of someone hidden behind the writing?
In fact, the number of stories in each book almost always corresponds to the track listing of an album. And I name my books like albums: The Man Who Sold the World is an LP by David Bowie, The Dark Side of the Moon is the Pink Floyd classic, Moon tan is a record by an almost forgotten Dutch group (Golden Earring) who had a hit in 1974 (Radar Love), Ray of Light is by Madonna, ‘Ballad of Jeanette’ is based on Songs About Jane by Maroon 5, and ‘The Luminous Flesh of Giants’ is from Joe Satriani.”
“I can do three stories on the same day and accomplish between ten and twenty-five stories a month. But I can also spend a great deal of time blocked, sometimes months go by with nothing to say. I finish the story the same day I start it and edit it only that same day, and after that I don’t touch it. I do not believe in that maxim that a story is never done being edited.” Read more.
