Interview with Emerging Writer and Beloved Poet, Lázaro Gutiérrez
Lázaro Gutiérrez is an up-and-coming writer and poet whose work has been published twice previously with Papers Publishing. He’s a father, a self-proclaimed foodie, and a visceral voice for Spanish and English work.
Rian: Welcome back Lázaro, it’s been a little bit since we last showcased your work! I hope things have been good for you since then.
As an indie litmag, it’s not often we get to have writers come back to us so many times, but you’ve had two pieces published with us: Eulogy for the Corolla and The World Below Me is Small. Has writing always been part of your life? You also write in both English and Spanish - do you feel you’re better expressed in one language over the other?
Lázaro: I remember becoming captivated by various works of literature when I first moved to the U.S. with my parents in 2004. Writing became an integral part of me around the age of nine. I was consuming a lot of fiction (in fact this is what helped me learn the English language rather quickly) and I became inspired to write my own stories, so I wrote my first fiction novel at the age of eleven. In retrospect, it was actually a very well-written story which I remain very proud of. I put a lot of passion into that book; the fresh imagination of a child igniting the fire of their true calling is ever-present in that story. At eighteen I self published a book—which would later become a series—as my high school senior exit project. I ultimately stopped writing the series and unpublished the books due to feeling that the stories were not an accurate representation of me as a writer. At around the age of twenty-one, I decided to really focus on becoming published by literary magazines, and other literary platforms, so I began to pursue a career as a writer and set my mind on submitting my work to as many publishers as I could.
I tend to write more in English because after living in the U.S. for over twenty years it has become my dominant language and the one I use more often on a daily basis. However, in the past few years I’ve gone through a rediscovery of my culture and—occasionally while writing—the words flow out me in Spanish. I realized that some poems I wanted to write were better written in Spanish. But I write my words in the language that it is delivered in by my inspiration (or muse). Implementing Spanish into my work allows me to weave aspects of my culture and honor my parents, my ancestors, my ethnicity, and the place I come from. It is a way for me to pay tribute to the culture that will forever run through my veins and to pay homage to the dreams of those who came before me; those who could not see their dreams flourish due to the political climate of the country I am from.
Rian: It’s very touching to hear how much your writing helps create a connection to your heritage. It’s so important to have that. I guess, in a way, dreams can also help create connections similar. Your short, The World Below Me is Small was published as part of Our Dream Journal, where authors reflect on previous dreams they've had. What do you think the symbolism was behind this entry, and how did that encourage the approach you took crafting it?
Lázaro: There was a time in my life where I wasn’t happy and it was as though I was allowing myself to sink rather than swim. I watched as life threw challenges at me and I would react, become angry, and try to fight against her riptides. This darkness was so powerful that it pushed me to almost give up and drove me to a state of constant bleakness. At around this time I was in such a negative headspace that even my dreams began to reflect the obscurity I was dwelling in. The turning point in this piece is the realization that we are in control of our lives, perhaps we cannot control the outside events that transpire, but we can certainly control the way we react, and the way we take hold of situations and work toward fixing whatever is ailing us. Ultimately, this piece is based on my learning that I can change the way I choose to see situations at any point if it does not serve me. There is a lot of symbolism in this piece, which I chose to incorporate as ways to embellish the true darkness I was facing due to mental health struggles. The ‘bathtub’ for example, is a representation of many things, in the beginning it represents the relentless grip of depression taking over me, but as the dream progresses it becomes a symbol of accepting life as it happens, remaining calm through the unexpected madness we encounter, and learning to use hope to remain afloat in troubled waters.
Rian: It’s such a beautiful piece with a strong sense of hope at the end. We were very proud to feature it. Now, the other work by you that we published was Eulogy for the Corolla. It’s very introspective and reads backwards through events in your life in an almost nostalgic way. In it you mention that it’s a sort of closure. Do you find this to be a common way you write?
Lázaro: Absolutely, I process life through writing. I find that there is strength in vulnerability, in choosing to view the events that happen to us and analyze them without judgement. When I reflect on a particular event I want to write about, I often question, why did this happen to me? What can I learn from this? And what can I do to move forward? Writing these life events is a way for me to look back and discern the lesson from the problem happening to me at that given time. It is a way for me to grow and use those lessons to move forward as a stronger person.
In Eulogy for the Corolla, I wanted to create a montage of some of the moments that were lived in that car. I feel that over time humans have become wired to disregard the value in many groundbreaking inventions. An inanimate object like a car—although not truly alive or self-aware—can hold so much power, energy, and memories from the remnants of our own existence in them. In the end, something like the total loss of a car in an accident, obliterates this machine containing invaluable countless memories which are then physically reduced to nothing but scrap metal. So in a way, I wanted to honor the memories lived in that car and preserve its existence in writing forever. I wanted to pay homage to the greatness of human intelligence found in the unconscious vessel that harbored life when we were in it.
Rian: I’m sure many would agree with you about cars, and I’m sure it resonated with so many. You create such vivid stories in your writing, both visually and emotionally, where do you think this style of writing comes from? Are there any authors who have inspired your style or who you look up to?
Lázaro: I want the world to perceive my vision the way I am seeing it. I think there is beauty in simplicity, and there are intricacies in what we perceive as common. I like the works of poets who are able to bring out the complexities in that which we consider ordinary. Gerard Manley Hopkins is one of these poets, his poem Pied Beauty has had a significant influence on my writing. Hopkins’ ability to zoom in on the little details of ordinary things and excavate the beauty in them is extraordinary and effortless. Mary Oliver is also one of my favorites poets, her connection to nature really resonates with me. Most notably, the way she can bring beauty out of something like a dead animal, as she did in The Black Snake. This challenges me to write about things in a different way, to explore ways to praise something that perhaps doesn’t often get praised or appreciated. I love Charles Bukowski’s ability to incorporate his ordinary life experiences, his emotions, and the realities of life—in his work. The complete raw nature of his writing has helped me get through difficult times; especially working a nine to five job. I also must credit the incredible José Martí, arguably the most important literary figure to emerge from my country and the foundation of my writing. In Cuba, we are taught his works from a young age and I believe his influence will always live in my verse.
Rian: Wow! I’m definitely going to have to look into Martí after this then. So, as we come to the end of the questions, I’d like to know; what can we hope to see from you in the future? Any plans for more published writing, or ventures into other realms?
Lázaro: I am on the pursuit of a thriving writing career and I know I am on my way to achieve that goal. The past two years have completely changed my life. I am excited to continue to publish my work and put it out for the world to see. My biggest goal has always been to be a published poet and writer and I am grateful every time one of my works is published because it confirms that I am on the right track. I am always humbled to be included amongst so many established and successful poets and writers. I yearn to be recognized and respected for my work—that is the ultimate validation. Especially when that respect and admiration comes from my peers. I have so much respect for those of us who live for art and are fighting every day to liberate the artist that lives within us. It takes an incredible amount of courage to fight against the status quo and live for a dream that many may consider unconventional, especially in today’s world where it seems like the integrity of art is being challenged by technology. I have always felt like an artist, and every time my work is published I feel like I am on top of the world. There is no feeling quite like receiving an acceptance message from a publisher. I’d like to savor that feeling for the rest of my life.
Rian: Well, many congratulations on seeing your work out there. We’re so thrilled to read more from you in the future. And thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us.
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