Mexico City.- «Germinal», by Tania Tagle, and «Fruto», by Daniela Rea, are two books with a lot in common. Both Mexican writers commented to EFE that they started, in part, from the experience of being mothers and that the works, although approached from different points, talk to each other now that they are already in the hands of the readers.
«’Fruto’ is a book that I have known since it was a draft, just as Daniela has known ‘Germinal’ since it was a draft. (…) They contain different discourses but we knew them, we talked about them, “said Tagle.
«Germinal» was born from her personal diary, from her reflections in solitude and sometimes misunderstanding about motherhood.
At the same time, she wanted to write about the concept of the monstrous, of the monstrosity in culture and literature, and she realized that they were the same text: “One writing was spreading from the other.”
From there arose the first of three parts of the essay in which she reflects and gives references to the monstrosity, the story and the astonishment, all through motherhood and the questions that arose from it.
«It is actually a mother who is talking about what she feels. We all have a mother, we should all listen to her. I would like to think that it is a book for sons and daughters, that is, for everyone, ”Tagle reflected.
For her part, Rea also starts in “Fruto” from a personal diary that she did not plan to publish and that was merged with her journalistic work, with the idea of making a report on the lack of recognition of care, which is why the book includes interviews and also hard data.
Her book, although from maternity in many cases -contains an interview with her mother-, focuses on care. “A conversation was woven between the women I interviewed, between my own upbringing and women who have thought about it (care) before,” she explained.
SELF-LEARNING
For both of them, writing “Germinal” and “Fruto” was an apprenticeship, an opportunity to learn more about their own stories but also those of the women who surround them.
During the interview, Rea specified several points that he described as obvious that he realized in the “Fruit” process.
«It made me realize something obvious, which is that we are not all mothers but we have all been cared for. We are alive because someone took care of us.” story.
On the other hand, he said, he was really aware that even though he wasn’t looking for stories of violence, violence seeped into all of them. “Debt is brutal,” she reflected.
Tagle shared that her essay was also born out of the underrepresentation of women in literature and the genuine emotion she felt when she felt “just a little bit represented.” “It’s not something that happens to us,” she said.
On this, she considered that many women decide to speak up and narrate themselves, something that both she and Rea -in different measures and from different approaches- decided to do.
This is part of a push in literature and journalism to talk about motherhood and address caregiving, something that, although quite a few women have done before, still has a long way to go.
Rea considered that within feminism there were claims of motherhood for excluding it, however, “thanks to women who have problematized feminist priorities and approaches, we have been able to listen to other stories,” she opined.
And precisely, he valued being able to understand the issue of the right to choose (in relation to abortion) from a care perspective, something that happened thanks to the fact that narratives such as those addressed by both books are opening up space.
Thus, Tagle saw that the present is an important moment for this literature (self-narrative), which is being recognized.
«I have seen criticism that everyone already wants to talk about himself and everything is me. Well, of course, when you have always been represented in all universal literature, it bothers you that other voices say ‘I also want to tell myself,’” Tagle concluded. EFE
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