The writer Carlos Zanón was one of the participants in the tenth edition of the MOT literature festival, dedicated this year to “Panic, literature and fear”, which took place between Girona and Olot until last weekend. Zanón participated with Lluicia Ramis and Bonnie Jo Campbell, in a talk about the fear of failure
what scares you
Many things, the same that they do to everyone. It makes me lonely, the suffering, the failure, that nothing happens to the people I love…
Did you say failure? I thought that those who have already known the honeys of success, this was spared.
Don’t believe it, the fear of failure is very human, no one is immune to it. Not reaching the expectations that you have created for yourself or that others expect of you, is cause for fear.
Is the society we currently live in a shambles?
Maybe poor would not be the word, but it is a society that suffers too much. I, for example, used to play in the street without any problems from my parents, but now, if my children do it, I am already suffering all the time in case something might happen to them. Of course, times have changed, but even so, we may be exaggerating our concerns.
Was he afraid to face Pepe Carvalho?
The truth is, no, I was very sure of what I wanted to do. Later I could like it more or less like it with the readers, but in this case I was not afraid.
Is it a cliché or is it true, that thing about the writer’s fear of the blank page?
It can be considered a cliché, but there is really a fear of not repeating yourself, of being different and offering a minimum of quality. As long as you want to be honest with yourself, of course.
Tamames was not afraid of failure.
Heh, heh, apparently not. In some moments it made me a little… combed. I think Sánchez was right when he told him that submitting to the motion of no confidence had not been the best idea he had had in his life.
The leaders of the process do not seem to have any either, for fear of failure.
Ha, ha, they didn’t gauge the consequences of the poker game they were playing, indeed. They thought that there was no one on the other side and they rushed forward believing that no one would stop them from what they planned to do. They miscalculated the strength of the cards in their hand.
I think they didn’t have a sad pair of dosos.
Exactly, they forgot that on the other side they had a state, and that it would defend itself. A state with all the shortcomings you want, but a state. Even Albania is a state, and when the time comes it would defend itself.
Music often appears in his works. Is it important in your life?
Very important, always. In all the memorable moments of my life there has been a song that accompanied me.
Would he have loved being a rock star more than a successful writer?
Man, if you had said that to me at twenty-five, I might have said yes, but at my age, frankly, I’d rather be a writer.
I meant precisely at twenty-five, man, he’s not old now.
Ah, then yes, I would have liked to be a rock singer more.
I de reggaeton?
No, not reggaeton, it’s not a music that attracts me very much (laughs).