Adiós, Carlos Fuentes...

The contract between the author and the reader is a game. And the game . . . is one of the greatest invetions of Western civilization: the game of telling stories, inventing characters, and creating the imaginary paradise of the individual, from whence no one can be expelled because, in a novel, no one owns the truth and everyone has the right to be heard and understood. - Carlos Fuentes (1928-2012)

Rest In Peace, Don Carlos. Your pen took me to so many grand places, so many times. Mexico has lost its best storyteller, and the world has lost one of the most important narrators it has ever known. 


However, thanks to Literature and the permanence of the written word, even in this digital age, we can still feed from your worlds and mingle with the unforgettable characters you created. There, in the pages of the books you wrote, you are immortal. 


Click here to find out more about Carlos Fuentes' work.
Visit his official website (only in Spanish).
Click here to read the moving obituary published by Spanish paper EL PAÍS. 

No black & white: my thoughts about the fuss over E.L. James' "Fifty Shades of Grey"

A little over a month ago, if not more, one of my close friends recommended Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James. "Add it to your reading list", she said. I asked her what the topic was and when she told me, my attention was definitely drawn. It is no secret that I am a fan of erotic literature (read my post about Anäis Nin's Delta of Venus here), and even my mother knows that from a very young age I began reading my way through the Marquis de Sade's various works, which opened the door to a rich, sensual world which can only exist in perfection when it's on the page of a book.

Author E.L. James

I am not giving a summary of the book here, you can find it anywhere these days. I do want to say that Ms. James' writing is sufficient - she herself has admitted she thinks she is not a very good writer -, but she compensates this with her excellent use of intrigue. Even though the names of her characters are a bit 'square', their personalities make up for that flaw. James manages to make us like - or even lust after - a male lead (Christian Grey) who is bossy, perhaps misogynist (at least on occasions), violent and somewhat full of himself. She makes us see past all these flaws, even think of them as something 'interesting' or attracctive. Her lead female character, Anastasia Steele, is a goody-two-shoes turned sumissive with whom many of us relate to, or wish to relate to (ha!). Both characters are endearing in unexpected ways, and leave us wanting more at each turn of the page.The story James conceived is juicy, revealing and much deeper than one would expect. Those who label "Fifty Shades of Grey" as 'mommy-porn' have either a) not read the books, or b) hung out around too many narrow minded people for too long.

For me, the massive hoo-hah this book has created among readers (most of them women, apparently) and critics alike, as well as within different media, doesn't have much reason to be. This is not because I dislike the books - on the contrary, I am hopelessly hooked, as are thousands of others everywhere in the world - but because, for me, this kind of topic has always been out there and erotic literature has existed for thousands of years. It makes sense, because sex has always existed, since the beginning of mankind, therefore it is only natural that people write about it. Nobody talks about it, though.
The controversy and appeal caused by the "Fifty Shades" saga has more to do with the availability and immediacy of information in our current world. In the dawn of mass-produced literature, before the invention of the printing machine, stories had to be copied by hand and were expensive, rare and scarce. Very few examples of erotica written before the fifteenth century survive, and if they do, it is mostly by second-hand accounts, or in fragments. Evidently, things are completely different today: all I had to do was ask a friend to pass it along, and suddenly I had the PDF of the first book of James' saga in my inbox. It must be very uncomfortable, even frightening, for some sectors of the population to think that erotic literature is finally available in such an easy, fuss-free way. It is one thing to go to the bookstore, or the library, and ask for the complete works of the Marquis de Sade, and another to click on a few links and buy (or - let's face it - ilegally download) your digital or print copy, without anyone having to find out how you get your kicks.

Somehow, this reminds me a bit of all the commotion caused by Madonna's SEX book. Those of you who were teenagers in the 90's probably remember how, for what seemed to be months, that book seemed to be the only topic of conversation in talk shows, news shows, post-lunch conversations, radio shows, etc. Back then the internet existed but had very limited, restricted use. It took a few years before the photos included in SEX made it to the online universe - this is how I had a chance to look at them for the very first time, when I was about twenty. My thoughts then? I had already seen much racier images on tv or film. If you even look at some ads published in the pages of VOGUE or any other magazine lately, you notice how much our cultural standards of what is 'too sexual' or 'too graphic' have changed.

What does it mean if you get turned on by certain (fictional) scenarios, or by specific images? Does it mean there is something odd, unusual or just plain 'wrong' within you? This will always be the question asked by society by those who are clearly uncomfortable discussing sex. The only truth is that we are all sexual beings, and we all get our kicks - physically and mentally - in different ways.

Are erotic literature writers and publishers 'evil', or 'anti-feminist', for writing and/or publishing fiction that depicts BDSM actions, or other fetishes (such as bestiality, voyeurism, exhibitionism, coprophilia...you name it)? I think not. Society - that means all of us - must get over the false notion that makes us simple puppets of what we read, what we see or what we listen to. Most of us are capable of discerning what is suitable when and where, and what is not.  Those who are not capable of making this discernment have a serious psychological problem, and this is not caused by reading erotic literature or listening to, say, Marilyn Manson's albums 24/7. If I read about a woman who is constantly abused by his husband, I'm more likely to take her side and reaffirm my notion that I will never allow anybody to abuse me in any way - it will not turn me into an abuser, or into an abused wife.

It is true that you might feel curious about trying some new tricks after reading "Fifty Shades of Grey". Is this worrying? I don't think so - it is your sex life, your body, your choice. The only opinion that should matter about your lifestyle choices is YOURS. So, why should anyone be discussing this in a talk show, or bashing the books in some conservative publication?









Have you read "Fifty Shades of Grey" or any other erotic literature piece by another author? How do you feel about the attention these books are getting - is it negative, positive, neither? I would LOVE to read your opinions on this matter!

Io Sono L'Amore (I Am Love)

(Note: the lack of 'technical' info on this post is intentional - I preferred to focus on the emotions it produced on me rather than on data, but if you wish you can always read about this production on Wikipedia.)

I'm always careful when I read and hear too many positive comments about a so-called 'Art' film. I can't remember how many times my expectations have been build up enourmously only to be disappointed (or worse) in the end. Between the slow/poor distribution of foreign films in Mexico and my reluctance, it took almost 3 years before I finally watched  Luca Guadagnino's film Io Sono L'Amore or, as more people know it, I Am Love (2009). 

This is film at its best, in each and every aspect.

The film chronicles the decline of Italian burgeois family of industrial textile manufacturers, the Recchis, subtly showing the cracks in a sculpture-like life that would appear flawless from a distance, but which is, in reality, crumbling apart at an unforeseen speed  and has a rather dramatic - even tragic - ending. The aesthetics of the film are impeccable and they suck the viewer into the actions and landcapes of each scene. All the music used in the film consists of pre-existent pieces composed by John Adams, which are used to perfection and clearly depict the different moods and feelings portrayed throughout the story. 

Marisa Berenson shines in this film.

The acting can't get any better. Tilda Swinton should have won all the awards in the film industry for her performance as Emma Recchi, so full of authentic emotion and elegant emphasis of the passionate feelings that overcome her character: intense loneliness, powerful infatuation and a sensual and undiscovered appetite which is awakened by humble genius chef Antonio. The rest of the cast does an equally superb job, and for the nostalgics who love Fashion, there's also a small role played by an iconic and still striking Marisa Berenson. 

Tilda Swinton
in one of her many flawless ensembles

By the way, can we talk about the Fashion sense of this production for a moment? Many of us have gone crazy over Sex and The City and The devil wears Prada because we thought the Fashion was so amazing...Yet, I Am Love is on an entirely different playfield. Each piece of wardrobe is flawless, sober, subtle yet powerful and extremely effective. Fashion is pretty much a character of its own in this magnificent film, serving as an extension for the emotional state of each character and to manifest in a clear way their individual personalities and troubles. Each scene and every shot could very well appear in a VOGUE Fashion spread, yet this doesn't take away from the film or the story, nor does it make it look 'plastic' or less real. It adds a new dimension that we can't help but be grateful for. THIS is how you do Fashion in film. 

Emma Recchi (Swinton) & Chef Antonio discover their mutual passion
for food,   and the passion they have for each other. 

The role played by food is very relevant too: it marks all the crucial events of the story of the Recchi family and it also provides a reference 'frame' for Swinton's character. The food awakens the senses and arouses feelings which had been lying dormant in Emma Recchi, and when she awakens...wow, it is a sight worth beholding! The film title is not a coincidence, and when it's finished, you think to yourself: "You know what? We are ALL love!").

It was during that suffering

That love came to me!

A voice filled with harmony that says:

“Keep on living! I am life!

Your heaven is in my eyes!

You are not alone!

I wipe off your tears!

I am in your path and I am your support!

Smile and wait! I am love!

Is everything else blood and mud?

I am divine! I am oblivion!

I am the God who comes down onto the world

From the heavens, and makes the earth

A paradise! Ah!

I am love, love, love  

(Fragment of the aria La mamma morta, from the opera Andrea Chénier by Umberto Giordano, which inspired the title of this film. Translation from the Italian.)

Please watch this gorgeous, exquisite film when you have the opportunity and if you have already watched it, let me know what you thought about it! 

Click here to watch the trailer for I Am Love.

xx B.

The birthday post

An unspoken rule I set for myself since I began this blog is that I try to focus only on Art or other related topics which interest me, leaving my personal life aside. That being said, I know that I simply must write about my 32nd birthday, which was perhaps the best one I've ever had.

How many times have I read or heard something like "it's the people in your life that matter, not the things in your life"? Probably dozens. Had I ever believed it? Honestly, no. Not completely, at least. It's not until now that I realize that even though there will always be things I wish I had in my life, all of that PALES in comparison to what I do have. I was overwhelmed by the amount of love I received that day: my Facebook wall was full to the brim with messages of congratulations and good wishes. My mother sang "Las Mañanitas" (which is the Mexican equivalent of "Happy Birthday", although infinitely more poetic than the American version, if I may say so) when I woke up in the morning. Then, at work, my awesome boss, Dr. Beverly Nelson, bought me a cake (!) and she ordered pizza so all of us could have a mini-celebration at the end of the work day.

My birthday fell on a Friday. That day at around 9:30 pm my best friend arrived. She made a 5 hour road trip just to celebrate with me. She and I are practically sisters now. I'll never be able to fully convey my gratitude for having her in my life. Later that night my mum, my friend and I went to Hotel Matilda, which has the most incredible and exquisite bar I've ever been in - we had drinks and a few hors d'oeuvres, which brought the evening to a great ending.

The following day, we had a yummy breakfast at home and then my friend and I headed out to get mani-pedis. It was a fun experience, even though our manicure was ruined the next morning (my toenails are still going strong, but I don't think I'll come back to that place: a total disappointment and perhaps the only downside of an otherwise blissful weekend). We went shopping and then we went to get our makeup done! Stéphannie, one of the best artists in San Miguel de Allende, gave us both a totally rad look for hitting the clubs later that night.

However, before the clubs, I had the honor to have dinner with my closest friends. Each and every one of them are beautiful persons who love life, are full of positive energy and each of them is a treasure for this world. There was a moment when my friend told me "wow, take a look around and check out what an outstanding group of people have reunited here!". I nearly broke down in tears of joy. I couldn't help but compare the occassion to my 30th birthday, only 2 years ago. The incredible positive changes that have taken place in my life blew my mind. I felt - and still feel - so grateful. Awesomeness, just pure awesomeness.

After a delicious fondue and many lovely and perfect gifts (beautiful hoop hand-made wire earrings from my boss,a handmade journal from nature princess Dana, a yummy-smelling soap bar made of 100% natural ingredients and an Usha phone case made by my friend and yoga extraordinnaire, Usha, the top I was wearing that night - a gift from my friend -; a novel written by my dear friend and mentor, Joseph Dispenza, etc.) my friend and I hit the clubs. The highlight of the night was when we went to Limerick (a happening pub in the center of San Miguel) and listened to a GREAT cover band, Le Vitons. They played songs by Kings of Leon, Oasis, Supergrass, The Doors and many others, and they really rocked it. I even had the chance to talk to the lead singer, Sebastián, for a little bit, about the 'groupie' phenomenon. It was truly great!

The next morning, my friend, my mother and I enjoyed a delicious breakfast at Vía Orgánica and then picked up the cake my mother had ordered for me at El Petit Four, the best bakery in town: three-milks and strawberry. It was the best birthday cake ever!

If anyone had told me, three years ago, that I would be experiencing all this, and that so many amazing people  would be part of my life now, I would not have believed a word of it. What this birthday weekend made me realize is that there is no point in postponing happinness. We can't wait until we buy that iPhone, or go to that concert, or have a date with that guy/girl or buy a loft in TriBeCa to be happy.

Happiness starts now, and MUCH of that happinness is in those around you that make your life better on a daily basis, even if you have never realized it.

That's my birthday wish for all of you: that you begin your happiness NOW. 

**To my dear friends Casee, Adrienne, Caroline, Kira, Isabel, Galina, Grisel, Patrice, Marco & Liv, Jochen & Kerstin, Lia, Gerardina, Dan-El, Mario, Anika, Barbro and a LONG etcetera: even though you were not physically here, I could feel your love. THANKS for being part of my life and for being instrumental in my current happiness. xoxoxo