Friday, August 6, 2010

Manny Interviews ...

Foto/Blog Gaspar, El Lugareño (by Elsa Roberto)



Welcome to the Proust Questionnaire!


por Manny López
(para el blog Gaspar, El Lugareño)


I have been toying with this idea for a while, as it has always been one of my favorite reads in Vanity Fair. Every Friday I will try to bring you closer to these talented personalities, and their world via The Proust Questionnaire.

Today I present Justo J. Sánchez.

JUSTO J. SÁNCHEZ, award-winning cultural journalist, has written for Sotheby’s and serious publications. He has taught art history and theory at the college and graduate school level. Mr. Sánchez has been interviewed by THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, THE NEW YORK TIMES, NPR, and NBC Nightly News, among others. He regularly lectures in important art fairs like Art Palm Beach.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? -

The inability to wonder and rejoice. The state of indifference, pettiness, orthodoxy, and lack of curiosity. Many of these people are just sexually repressed.

What is your idea of happiness?

The happiness I felt walking with my father through St. Petersburg’s Hermitage, the museum to ourselves, or with my parents in Santiago de Compostela, il Palazzo Gritti and the secret corners of Venice with my sister. Actually, my idea of happiness would be to live a simple life, reading and writing in a hidden place I know on the Costa Amalfitana.

Who are your favorite characters in history?

Jesus, Saint Catherine of Siena, Saint Ursula, Socrates (so trite!), Saint Francis, Sofonisba Anguissola (woman court painter to Philip II and Elisabeth de Valois), Hildegard von Bingen (composer, mystical poet, abbess), Fr. Matteo Ricci, Caravaggio, Henry David Thoreau, Oscar Wilde, Federico García Lorca, Rosa Parks, Jean Cocteau, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Michel Foucault, Gandhi.

The quality you most admire in a man? -

Humility, virility.

The quality you most admire in a woman? -

Firmness in her sense of identity, difference, and mission.

Your most marked characteristic? -

Enthusiasm.

What do you most value in your friends? -

To lead me gently to humility and, yes, a sense of humor.

How would you like to die? -

In prayer, surrounded by family or friends, in a loving community.

What is your present state of mind?

Defiant and serene. Is it a contradiction? I feel the need to explore, inquire, and dissent.

What is your motto?

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

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Nota mía: Comienza este viernes una nueva sección: Manny Interviews ... , gracias a la cortesía de Manny López (Zu Galeria), quien se ha ofrecido para compartir cada semana una entrevista a personas conocidas por su desempeño relevante en el mundo de la cultura.  

Además, cada entrevista estará acompañada por una foto, que en su mayoría serán obra de la fotógrafo Elsa Roberto, de quien los seguidores de esta bitácora tienen el privilegio de disfrutar su arte, de manera frecuente.

Las otras secciones fijas que tiene actualmente el blog son: La Luz Reconciliada (Lunes); El Trago de los Tigres (Martes), Con la Verdad a Cuestas (Miércoles), Cubanos (Jueves), Ley en el blog (Viernes), Oikos (Sábado) y Damas de Blanco (Domingo)

También, se estuvieron publicando de manera sistemática: Orígenes (Martes), Camagüey visto por Reynier (Miércoles) Fotos de Ninon Lavallee (Jueves) y Estampas Camagüeyanas.

Gaspar, El Lugareño

13 comments:

Carmen Karin Aldrey said...

Muy original, Manny! La idea es estupenda y espero que la sigas desarrollando con muchos éxitos!
Felicidades!

sonora y matancera said...

Manny... ¿por qué en inglés y no en español? y como se publica en un blog "cubano", yo diría que sería hasta interesante intentarlo "en cubano" ... tal vez sea una idea que puedas elaborar ... si te interesara, claro

en inglés siento que es demasiado parecido el concepto a lo que hace VF, que es donde mejor lo hacen en la actualidad.

por ejemplo, en éste a Bolaños las preguntas están bien traducidas, aunque ponen punto final a cada interrogación y eso es incorrecto en castellano...

http://sololiteratura.com/bol/bolamisccuestionario.htm

y buena suerte con esta aventura...

Anonymous said...

PREGUNTAS SIMPLES. RESPUESTAS QUE PUEDEN SER PROFUNDAS .CONCISAS PERO CON SESO...O SIMPLES ESTAREMOS A LA ESPERA DE CADA UNA DE ELLAS PORQUE TODAS RESULTARAN INTERESANTES .GRACIAS ADRIAN. !FELICIDADES! ari

Teresa Dovalpage said...

¡¡Una super idea! Me gustó mucho, y siempre serán bienvenidas en inglés o español. Pero no Spanglish... abrazos taoseños...

Teresita Betancourt said...

Este nombre es importante en Camagüey y me extraña que los editores pasaran por alto la importancia que tiene en nuestra historia el abuelo o bisabuelo de este señor. ¿No recuerdan que hay calles en Jatibonico, Ciego de Ávila y en la propia Ciudad de Camagüey con el nombre de su antepasado? ¿No recuerdan el nombre de una sección en el museo de nuestra ciudad con las armas del patriota Justo Sánchez? Si mal no recuerdo el abuelo o bisabuelo de este Justo J. Sánchez era hermano de Serafín Sánchez. Incluso, hasta el gobierno comunista reconoció a Justo Sánchez bautizando el aeropuerto de Sancti Spíritus con su nombre. Si era importante reconocer a un individuo haciendo la entrevista en español era con el nieto o biznieto de tan sonado nombre camagüeyano.

Andrew said...

I just arrived in this blog because Justo, a friend of mine from New York, posted the link on FB. I loved the picture. It captures his personality! The Proust Questionnaire gives us a limited window into his complex persona. You want my advice? Do it on tape and post the video. I tell you, it will be fun!

Anonymous said...

A que ustedes no saben cómo le llaman a este hombre: el Gore Vidal cubano. Yo creo que tiene más delicadeza, al ser más culterano y complicado. Siempre le supimos admirar como manejaba y escondía la ira y ternura que lleva dentro.

Anonymous said...

Do you know how we remember Justo up here in New York? He was dutiful in giving his friends from down there great tours of the first and second floor of the Metropolitan, the Frick Collection, MoMA, and the Morgan. The guy would not go near anything contemporary...hehehehe! He had this friend from one of the wealthiest families in South America who would meet him at the Frick every couple of Sundays and then go and chat for hours at La Goulue. What a character!

Sabrina Childs said...

Ms. Elsa Roberto needs to be congratulated for her remarkable job in portraying the subject's most introspective moments. like when he studies. We used to see him like that when writing for the paper. You didn't see the other times when he was funny and subversive. You missed that. Mr. Lopez, please answer this: do you get the feeling that your interviewee was holding back?

Ignacio Recio-Sotolongo said...

Este señor se mueve por muchos círculos. Ayer mismo lo vimos con Maurice Ferré y su esposa Mercedes almorzando en un restaurant, enfrascado en una discusión sobre un mapa de la Florida. Jamás lo verán en la crónica social. Una vez coincidimos con él y un señor venezolano en Sunny Isles que almorzaban con Bob Graham. Su blog “www.TintayVeneno.com” es de los más controvertidos en la ciudad.

Manny Lopez said...

I wanted to thank you all for passing by, and leaving your feedback. I am extremely grateful to Joaquin Estrada-Montalban for allowing me to do this in his blog, and photographer Elsa Roberto for her great work. And when I thought of doing this, I have to confess Justo Sanchez was on top of my list, not only for his accomplishments, and his knowledge, but also for his unique character. Of course, these are only 10 questions, in order to know more about Justo or anyone for that matter, we would need a lot more space. This is only the tip of the iceberg... La semana proxima los veo por aca con una entrevista en castellano...como me lo piden... Saludos, and Many Thanks! Manny

Ernesto G. said...

Manny, English is fine, too. Great job.

Estas acabando, Lugareno!

Anonymous said...

Obtain and pick some good points from you and it aids me to solve a problem, thanks.

- Henry

Click here to visit www.CubaCollectibles.com - The place to shop for Cuban memorabilia! Cuba: Art, Books, Collectibles, Comedy, Currency, Memorabilia, Municipalities, Music, Postcards, Publications, School Items, Stamps, Videos and More!

Gaspar, El Lugareño Headline Animator

Click here to visit www.CubaCollectibles.com - The place to shop for Cuban memorabilia! Cuba: Art, Books, Collectibles, Comedy, Currency, Memorabilia, Municipalities, Music, Postcards, Publications, School Items, Stamps, Videos and More!