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Poetic Profile
Virna Teixeira
1) Em que parte do Brasil voce cresceu? Poesia e literatura fizeram parte da sua formação pessoal?
I grew up in Fortaleza in Brazil’s Northeast. I began to read early, lots of poetry and literature as well. I recieved my first books of poetry at 7 years old, children’s poetry of Cecilia Meireles and Vincius de Moraes. I was formed in a house that was one vast library, modernist poetry from Brazil, Classics, French Poetry, and more. Although I had access also to contemporary Brazilian literature as well. In the library of my father I encountered “ 26 Poets of Today” edited by Heloisa Buarque de Holanda and also “The Last days of Poverty” of Torquato Neto. I think also a fair quantity of North American poetry and so I discovered Walt Whitman, the Beats, all very early.
2) Who are your poetic influences, favorite poets, writers, artwork. Where do you find inspiration for your work?
It is difficult to speak of poetic influences, although I can say that I have always had more interest in poet who have a certain rigour in the writing, like João Cabral de Melo Neto for example. I have always read allot of North American writing, Marianne Moore, Gertrude Stein, Lorinne Niedecker, Robert Creeley I also like poets with a narrative tendency like Elizabeth Bishop, Delmore Schwartz and Edwin Morgan. This has come into my own work. My favorite writers are Dostoevsky, Celine and James Baldwin, my favorite Brazilian writers, Clarice Lispector. In visual art I like allot of sculpture, Henry Moore above all. Of the contemporary I love the minimalism of Rachel Whitehead, Ian Hamilton Finlay is a complete artist, he encountered the perfect balance between visual art and poetry and philosophy in his Little Sparta. I also admire allot Jose Leonilson whose works are everywhere in great museums. His work is delicate and above all with a melancoly andsolitude. My favorite painters are Francis Bacon, Edward Hopper, Lazar Segall, and the Portuguese Painter Paula Rego. In the area of Photography I like Nan Goldin, Robert Mapplethorpe, Cindy Sherman, Sebastião Salgado. Travel is always an inspiration to write. I always look for inspiration in visual art, painting and photography and music as well cinema and landscape, going either in or out the city .
3) What is your opinion of global poetry? American Poetry? Latin American poetry? Poetry in Latin America an Spanish and Portuguese speaking nations?
I think that North-American poetry has been more connected with language and postmodernity. Latin American poetry has been reenvigorated with a Neo Baroque sense and the barriers between countries less pronounced, there is much more contact between countries. A short time ago the an anthology of baroque poetry in Brasil "Jardim de Camaleões" was published by the poet Claudio Daniel this is an excellent try at publicizing poetry from around latin america in Brazil.
Portuguese poetry has also recently arrived in Brazil, it was a very unknown to us. This fact is very intersting because Contemporary Portuguese poetry (and not only) was totally unknown before. I think that the simultanious publication that for a time was being done by the Magazine Inimigo Rumor (One of Brazil’s most important Poetry Magazines - ed note) in Brazil and Portugal, help to built this bridge. In my experience I have learned allot about Portuguese poetry from the internet in visits to blogs of Portuguese poets.
4) When did you 'become' a poet, when did poetry become part of your everyday life?
I have written and read poetry with frequency since my adolecence, but poetry became part of my daily life when I was 22 or 23 years old, when I finished university.
5) Where were you educated? Was this important?
I am a medical doctor and I graduated in Fortaleza, and I came to São Paulo as a resident in Neurology. In Neurology I am specialized in sleep and dream disorders. I studyed for my masters in Scotland under a scholarship from the British Council. This formation was important for me not only on a personal level, but also as a Neurologist. I divided my time between Neurology and Poetry and my activity as a translator. Tracing a paralell between all my activities, I realize that I try to incorporate some of my work tools as a neurologist in my writing: trying to focus on details, but also being objective and precise.
6) Poetry in the USA is divided into Popular, Experimental, et cetera; how do you define Brazilian poetry?
It has never occured to me that this type of classification exists in Brazil but divisions in styles exists of course. The readership of poetry in Brazil is small.
(Editor’s Note, the Average sale of a Poetry Book in Brazil according to Editora Abril is 18,000 copies which is much higher than the average in the United States)
7) What is your favorite food?
I love Shrimp, Lobster and Seafood. I grew up on the beach and this is a good memory of the Northeast of Brazil. My favorite cuisine is French, in this point my palate is classic!.
8) Sports team? Activity?
I do not root for any team and I am not interested in team sports, but I exercise. My favorie activities are travel, read, listen to music and go to the movies and be with friends.
9) Vacation Spot?
I have been to quite a few places in Brazil but I do not know enough of Latin America. If it is possible, I prefer to go to Europe for its great cities that offer lots of cultural and knowledge options. I like to visit different places, less touristy. I like to explore new places and enjoy them in silence and peace.
10) Curse word?
I avoid swearing, I am a well mannered girl.
11) Are the magazines in Brazil tied to certain movements?
Yes, without a doubt there are distinct poetic movements and magazines, even so you can percieve a more visual movement, more open to diversity of writing.
12) In your opinion, is poetry in Brazil tied to academia?
Reasonably, I percieve that this is a large number of poets with academic formation in Poetry but this is not the norm for everyone
13) How do you connect the Cinema to your poetry?
Everytime it is connected more and more. Poetry, Cinema and my work, because my written life is very image centered. The images stimulate me and inspire me. At this moment I am writing a series of poems based on films.
14) Traditionally Brazil has a deep ties to Europe, how has Europe has effect your work? Or Africa, or Latin America....
I think about this as an external observer, the cultural connection of Brazil is most intense with France, I always was more solitary in my cultural explorations.
In relation to Europe my work was affected by my personal experiences living for two years in the UK; I discovered British poetry and over all the poetry of Scotland a true original poetry of great quality and little known. So I began to translate Scottish poetry and started also to know some of the “secrets” that are so interesting in British poetry. This discovery and the work of translation has naturally affected my writing.
The poetry of Africa has not become known in Brazil, but I must mention the translation that was recently published here that was very interesting of the poet Jean Joseph Rabearivelo of Madagascar by the Brazilian poet Antonio Moura who lived in Portugal for a time.
Craft Questions
1) How do you form a poem?
I'm capture by images, I like to observe art pieces and urban scenes, It is like flash photography or a fast film from where the idea comes from. From there, I develop a poem, at times tracing a parallel between the external and my internal observations.
2) Is poetry an organic or synthetic process for you?
Synthetic, although actually many of my writing have passed a little towards the organic process.
3) Where do you write? Is ambiance important?
Everywhere, I like to go to go around with a small notepad in my bag and note an idea or something that comes into my head. But this writing I organize at home, in the computer or at work, when I have a moment. I have a pen drive with my archives, which I organize at these times.
4) In the balance between found language and created language where does your work fall?
I incorporate a little of both. I encounter language in my work, and i collect it along with created language as well. The encountered language is external a conversation for example I also incorporate in my writing some subliminal forms, without me percieving.
Links:
http://papelderascunho.blogspot.com
http://paginas.terra.com.br/arte/PopBox/virnaverso.htm
http://www.secrel.com.br/jpoesia/virna.html
