3 Questions About... Pablo Neruda

Source

The person we're going to talk about today isn't here anymore to do an interview; that's why I decided to use the 3 Questions of the week to tell you about the masterpiece of an incredible man: Pablo Neruda.

Q : Who is Pablo Neruda?

C : Pablo Neruda is a Chilian poet, diplomat and international political figure, considered as one of the best poets of his generation.

Pablo Neruda's real name is Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto, and he was born on the 12 of July 1904. He loved litterature, and started writing at a very young age; in 1917, he published his first article in a local journal, which was then followed by numerous poems.

He studied French and French Litterature in Santiago, in order to become a French teacher; in the meantime, he started to get recognition for his work in the poetry. At 19, he published his first book "Crépusculario”. The next year, he published the very well-known "20 poems of love and a desperate song’’.

Great political figure in many republican movements, he won the Staline Price for Peace, the International Price for Peace, and the Nobel Price of Litterature.

He died on the 25 of Septembre 1973 after a cancer.

Q : What is his most famous work?

C : It's hard to say. Maybe the Canto General, or the "20 poemas de amor y una cansion desesperada."
But everybody agree that all of his poems, in all their depth and beauty, are a treasure that we absolutely have to keep and protect.

Here is a translated extract of the Poem 5, the first Neruda's poem I ever read:  

So that you will hear me

my words sometimes grow thin

as the tracks of the gulls on the beaches.

(...)

And I watch my words from a long way off.

They are more yours than mine.

They climb on my old suffering like ivy.

It climbs the same way on damp walls.

You are to blame for this cruel sport.

They are fleeing from my dark lair.

You fill everything, you fill everything.

Before you they peopled the solitude that you occupy,

and they are more used to my sadness than you are.

Now I want them to say what I want to say to you

to make you hear as I want you to hear me.

Pablo Neruda, Poema 5,

"20 poemas de amor y una cansion desesperada"

 

Q : What else do we have from him appart from his poems today?

C : His houses! If Pablo Neruda was an extremely talented poet, he also was a fantastic architect. His three houses, La Chascona (in Santiago), La Sebastiana (in Valparaiso) and Isla Negra are amazing creations full of inventivity, which the author loved to fill with any object he liked, transforming them in real museums.

I had the chance to visit the 3 houses last year, and if you have the opportunity to go, I can tell you it's worth it. You won't be disappointed!

 

In order to know more about this great poet, you can go on the website f the Pablo Neruda Fundation.

C

3 Questions About... Death Penalty.

Since I don't have anybody to interview for this week's 3 Questions to, I decided to answer 3 Questions about a topic we talk about a lot these days, mostly because of the last days' news: death penalty.

Source

Q : What's the death penalty?

C : The death penalty, also called capital penalty, is a penalty programmed by the law that consists in executing a person condamned for a capital crime. The list of crumes considered as capital changes between the states; murderer, spying, rape, drugs traffic in big quantities, and even plane's detornment.

Q : In which countries is it still efficient?

C : As the map shows, death penalty is still efficient in a lot of countries, such as the USA, India, Asian countries and some African countries. However, in the USA, it is only practiced in 34 States out of 50.

Q : Does death penalty could stop soon?

C : It's hard to say. Many countries aren't ready to give up this practice, even if their citizens disagree with it. But in the USA, the number of executions has dropped of one third in 20 years. In some States, such as California or Maryland, death penalty hasn't been aplicated in more than 5 years; the experts think than in a few years, 5 new States could have given up death penalty. However, they say that the question could be discussed any moment in the Supreme Court of the USA, and death penalty could then be abolished by law in the USA.

C

3 Questions To... Matthis

This week, we chose to interview Matthis, high school student and Volley-ball player in Saint Jean d'Illac's team.

C : What do you prefer in this sport?

Matthis : I don't know. It's how the game works, the fact that you can't make any mistake, because when the ball touches the ground, it's the end. You depend of your teammates to win, if for example your passer gives you a bad ball to play, you have to do what needs to be done to make the ball go on the other side, and try to give the other team some difficulties, even if the ball you got wasn't an easy one to play. You also have to pay attention to your reception so that they would go straight on your passer, so that he doesn't have to move to much to send a ball that might not be good. So yeah, I like every aspect of the game.

C : Tell me about your last game.

Matthis : It was an important game: it was the "little final" of the French Championship against Montpellier, and there was a big stake because our place on the podium depended of this game.

When we arrived at the training, we saw our opponents, who were a lot taller than us. It was a big advantage for them, because it made it easier for them to attack and block our own attacks.

The matck didn't start very well: we didn't play well, and they did. We lost the first set 25-14, and the second was starting just as bad, with 22-18 for them. They were only 3 points away from winning the game. But the passer of the opponent team did a smatched service, way more difficult than what he usually did. The ball went under the net, and we won an easy point. Then we succeeded in playing better, and won the set 25-23.

However, the third set started bad too; all the more is that it was only in 15 points. The other team was scoring 12-8, again 3 points away from winning the match. That's when the passer completely messed his ball, so that his teammate couldn't send the ball back to our side. Paris' team, (which supported us), got up in the benches to shout "You're panicking! You're panicking!" In the end, we finnaly won the game 15-12, as well as the bronze medal.

 

C : A person who changed your sportive's life?

Matthis : My sport's teacher from 6th grade. Before, I had been playing tennis for a wile, for about 8 years; she directed me towards VolleyBall, and made me reach the level necessary to play as a team permanent member in Saint Jean d'Illac's team, as well as in the sportive section of my school.
 

You like VolleyBall? Visit the Federation International of VolleyBall's website, and discover this amazing team sport!

C.

3 Questions To... Lois Duncan

For this first edition of the "3 Questions To", Lois Duncan, author of many famous books such as I Know What You Did Last Summer, Don't Look Behind You, or Stranger With My Face accepted to play along and answer.

C: Which is the novel you preferred writing and why?
Lois Duncan: If, by that, you mean which of my novels do I consider my best book, it's impossible to choose -- like being asked to choose a favorite child.  Among my favorites are Stranger With My Face, Locked In Time, The Third Eye and A Gift Of Magic. I liked the metaphysical subject matter.

C: Many of your books have been adapted to cinema. Do you think the movies are usually true to the book?
Lois Duncan: They are NEVER true to the book.  But some are a little bit closer than others.

C: You recently reedited some of your books, and changed a lot of details. Would you say it was a fun experience, or was it a heavy work?
Lois Duncan: It was a fun experience.  Especially since it caused me to re-read books I hadn't looked at for many years. Some of them I could hardly remember writing. It was like reading books that were written by somebody else.
 

If you're interested in learning more about her books, you can check her website :

Lois Duncan's Website

Interview from the 7th of September, 2011

C.