Poetry with Quechuan voices
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia -- Hay quienes dicen que, en un mundo de redes sociales y mensajes en 140 caracteres, la poesía, ya no tiene futuro. Sin embargo, los haikus de Ruth Miroslava, una poetiza boliviana, nos demuestran que este género narrativo está más vivo que nunca.
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia -Some might say in a world of social networks and brief messages of less than 140 characters, poetry does not belong. Still, the haikus of Ruth Miroslava, a poet from Bolivia, show us that this narrative genre is more alive than ever.
According to her, “poetry will never perish because it has always existed, it is the vivid expression of men and their feelings, and as such has no beginning, no ending.”
Ruth was born in Cochabamba, and now resides in Santa Cruz de la Sierra where she has made a living off her writing, not only as a poet but also as a short story writer and a Quechua translator, the language of the indigenous peoples the Aymaras.
So far, she has had a prolific career, collaborating on numerous anthologies and having published in literature magazines all around the world. Her most important book is called “Pentagrama en mi piel” (Pentagram on my Skin) and is also available through Amazon. Ruth has also been celebrated with awards in Bolivia, Argentina and Spain.
“I am always writing and dreaming about starting a novel, that’s my greatest aspiration, but poetry still completes me and makes me grow,” she explained.
The author knows about the difficulties of becoming an artist in the 21st century. Consumerism means that some good works may be banned from the profit networks but believes that writing is an exercise of the self, and a real joy when you have a reader.
“When you write, you do not do it thinking about earning money, just believing that eventually someone may read and appreciate your writing,” she explained.
Evolution has also affected poetry as a genre, and the new modern styles have enabled Ruth to express herself without worrying about rhyme.
“I do not write following a concrete architecture of the verses, I write what I feel in the moment. Sometimes it rhymes, sometimes it doesn’t,” she said.
For poetry is a genre of images, one that through the use of persuasive and carefully chosen words allows us to reflect about the realities that please us the most, and those we find deeply disturbing.
“I want to use poetry to find places of reconnaissance for women, and foster change through literature,” the writer said, explaining that her inspiration derives from what the senses feel, and words could trick the senses to create new mental images that might make the world a better place.
To all those artists out there who want to show their potential to the world Ruth advises: “Don’t give up, keep on moving forward, because will and diligence will take you where you want to be.” (La Semana)