Interview with Ale Oseguera, a poet and narrator born in Guadalajara, Mexico

Ale Oseguera: “The Muse Must Die”

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Andreu Navarra

Ale Oseguera, who is living in Barcelona since 2006, is the author of the poetry collections Tormenta de tierra (2016), Un hotel de cinco estrellas sobre un cementerio (2019), Mi rostro es un mapa de mi cuerpo (2023), and the novel Realidad en mono (2020). A prominent presence on Barcelona’s literary circles, whose performances leave a profound impact on audiences.

“A parachute is an enigma”. This line from Mi rostro es un mapa de mi cuerpo (2023) invites interpretation. Could you expand on it?

While each reader is encouraged to form their own interpretation from this and every other line, I can suggest a couple of straightforward interpretations to spark thought. One: Survival is never guaranteed, despite the tools at our disposal. Two: Why am I falling?

“The Muse is all of us. Women reduced to beautiful objects that ‘inspire’ men who then create works and take all the credit”

Who are the Hermanas del Desorden? Could you elaborate on their significance to you and their journey?

The story is long and colourful, as we are celebrating ten years of trajectory in 2023. I’ll try to summarise it. Mad Pirvan, Belén Berlín, and I shared a spirit and a restlessness that was simultaneously Dadaist, poetic, and post-dramatic. Our goal was to liberate poetry from the page, to bring it to life on stage, to set it to music, deconstruct it, and expand it; we wanted audiences to feel it deeply even if they couldn’t quite grasp whether they were experiencing poetry, theatre, or a rock concert. Thus, we formed a band that was simultaneously a coven, a safe space, and a theatre company. Later, the brilliant Laura Tomás joined us composing music for the poems. We recorded an album, published a book, and went on tour. Now, after a decade of challenging traditional perceptions of poetry, we are on hiatus, gathering energy to return in a way that meets our expectations and our love for the stage and the written word.

What is La Musa Suicida?

The Muse represents all of us. Women who are objectified as beautiful figures that “inspire” men, who then create and claim the resulting works as their own. The Muse was our friend and our sister, so we dedicated a poetry collection and a play to her. The Muse seeks to free herself from the Author who exploits her for his own benefit. To do so, she must cease to be a muse and become an author herself. The Muse must die. Thus, her suicide becomes her first act of artistic creation. This narrative is vividly portrayed in La Musa Suicida, the album and poetry collection by Las Hermanas del Desorden.

In 2020, you published your first novel, Realidad en mono. Do you have plans for more? What are your narrative influences?

Yes, there will be more, and I hope they will surpass Realidad en Mono. That is my goal: to improve with each work. My guiding principle, not only in narrative but also in poetry, literature, and creativity, is a commitment to hybridity and bravery.

What is that unusual instrument with a mouthpiece and keyboard that you play during your performances? Where did you find it?

It’s called a melodica, and it was a gift from Laura Tomás. First: because Laura knows I am a deeply passionate about analogue instruments. Second, because it has a beautiful sound. Third, because we wanted to set to music poems that speak of ships and tightrope walkers.

Why do you say you don’t have a home?

I’ll quote myself to explain: “Because your home, even under a purchase or rental contract, is never truly yours on foreign soil”.

How would you define your poetry?

As a spiral journey into the depths of a jungle.

Do you have anything or anyone you particularly dislike?

The civil servant who was at desk 17 in the Foreigners’ Office on Passeig de Sant Joan in Barcelona in 2016. Donald Trump and Milei. Vox. People who play music too loud on the metro and at the beach. Animal cruelty and child abuse. The right beauty standards imposed on women. My unavoidable acne. War.

“Your home, even under a purchase or rental contract, is never truly yours on foreign soil”

What are you currently reading?

A remarkable book about a Japanese soldier fighting in World War II.

What are you currently writing?

Literary reviews, radio scripts, press dossiers, WhatsApp messages, Instagram posts, to-do lists, grant and funding applications, my CV, cover letters for job applications, spontaneous reflections in colourful notebooks, a novel, and the answers to this interview.

Source: educational EVIDENCE

Rights: Creative Commons