Interview with Julia Ortega (Niamh Byrne)

Under the pseudonym of Niamh Byrne we find an old friend of this blog: Julia Ortega (Barcelona, 1971) strikes again! LGBT rights, social media, class difference, or sexism in education are some of the current topics discussed. Please do not miss out.

SPANISH GAY FICTION: Why did you decide to publish Contigo hasta el infinito under a pen name?

JULIA ORTEGA: This is my first novel set outside of Spain entirely. I use this pen name, which is of Irish origin, from this very year on for all those novels that do NOT have Spain as the main scenario.

SGF: On the dedication page you acknowledge all the people who work continuously to make visible and legitimize LGBT relationships.

JO: LGBT community rights must continue to be claimed today as much as when I started the novel. Back then I was assigned this project—another challenge of mine—, and it finally has come into existence. If I can make Frankie and Gigi win not only LGBT readers’ hearts but everybody’s, I will have achieved my goal.

SGF: Your book portrays a long-distance relationship built through social media. What is your opinion about this new, increasingly more common way of maintaining a love relationship?

JO: So-so. New technologies have made the world smaller, and now people are closer—and more distant at the same time! Let’s say that social networks help those facing actual problems to mix with in their most immediate context. That is the case of Gigi, who was pathologically shy during adolescence and would not in her wildest dreams have dared to approach someone like Frankie. Personally, I think that social networks remove these barriers and make communication easier between apparently incompatible people.

SGF: Frankie believes that opposites attract. . .Do you think the same way?

JO: No doubt. May that relationship last or end over time, that is another story.

SGF: It is very curious that neither Frankie nor Gigi had lesbian experiences before meeting again. Do you have knowledge of other similar stories in real life?

JO: To me, Love has no gender. This is not a question of being lesbian or heterosexual. In this case, we are dealing with bisexuality instead of homosexuality. I do not mention it in the novel, but I would say that Gigi had no kind of sexual experience until her mid-twenties, when her relationship with Frankie begins. This is also quite believable since she is more romantic and, as I said before, she finds harder to mix with others.

SGF: When these class differences happen in a real-life couple, is it harder for the low-class to adapt themselves to the environment of the high-class, or vice versa?

JO: Everything depends on each one’s intentions, their good will to solve certain conflicts. Although today’s class difference is not as noticeable as in past centuries, it remains. The problems are different, but the relationship still means a challenge for both extremes.

SGF: Which one do you identify yourself with most: Frankie or Gigi?

JO: Both. I am much more cynical than Gigi, and that makes me more similar to Frankie. Anyway, Gigi is a dear, one of the few people who still believe in human kindness.

SGF: I remember that in the previous interview we talked about social tolerance towards LGBT community, and you mentioned that there was so much hypocrisy about it. Do you still feel the same?

JO: There is everything under the sun. It may do not have to do with the topic but the beholder. It seems as if only a few people are able to talk about the subject discerningly (i.e., high-profile authors.) And what about us? We cannot have knowledge, an opinion, and if we can, they do not read/listen to us. That is the way it was years ago. Fortunately, things are changing and, yes, I have to thank the social media phenomenon, you see?

SGF: Why did you choose Glasgow and Amsterdam as the settings of Contigo hasta el infinito?

JO: Back then I happened to see both cities as opposing settings reflecting the mood of each of the protagonists somehow. I am not sure but I guess that, as it took a long time to write the novel, my feelings now the book is finished are therefore not the same than the ones I had when I started it. This may be a clichéd view, but what story is not at some point? By the way: unlike the plot of Caprichos del destino, there is nothing autobiographical in this story.

SGF: When I stop to think of the easy-going relationship between Frankie and her ex Dutch boyfriends, my conclusion is: “This would not have been possible years ago.” Do you think that in our society, and especially among younger generations, there is a much laxer view of sexuality?

JO: Much the same: it takes all sorts to make a world. My book is not setting a precedent, seriously. If I describe a very, very, very laid-back relationship among Frankie, Jan and Björn, that is because I have seen similar things in some films, other novels, or even people that I know or have known sometime in my life.

SGF: It seems that you are eluding the most melodramatic ways of romance novels throughout the book. Was it a voluntary decision?

JO: That is because this is not a romance novel. This is a love story, but it deliberately departs from all the (rigid) straits of the genre. I like love stories, but I dislike some—if not all—of the (obligatory) patterns so frequently found in bodice rippers. It also has to do with extension; Contigo hasta el infinito is a novella/novelette. I could not expand on certain aspects which, furthermore, are not relevant and can distance the reader from the main theme: the relationship between the two women.

SGF: Was anyone an inspiration for the arrogant Brianna MacFarland? 

JO: There are so many Briannas around the world, controlling people who want everybody to dance their tune only; people who do not accept other alternative ways of living/loving/feeling. It is not necessarily a question of money or power, though in Contigo hasta el infinito those elements are more recurrent. The outstanding point is that Gigi eventually stands up to her mother and takes the reins of her life. After all, we are not talking about teen love, but a relationship between adults who know what they want.

I have not been inspired by anybody in particular. If you want to put a face to Brianna, I myself visualize Cate Blanchett.

SGF: When Karen learns that her daughter Frankie is a lesbian, her only regret is that she would have liked to become a grandmother herself. The MacFarlands also had other expectations for their daughter. Do you view parents as generally thoughtless of their children’s own aspirations?

JO: Well, here we are back to the topic of the hypocritical society to which you must please, no matter what; always dictating the rules, imposing the standards; it states whom you have to marry, how many children you need to have, their future occupations, and a long et cetera. If someone defies the rules, he is pointed out and not for the good precisely. In the long run, this causes unhappiness, and no parent wants it for their children. “Behave well, and you will be happy and live quietly.” That is the mantra. “Do not rebel, otherwise we all will suffer the consequences.” This seems very much like the 19^th century, but it unfortunately still applies in some families, especially those (like Gigi’s) which, because of affluence or social position, are in the public eye.

SGF: When will Frankie be totally honest with her mother and confess that she is not a lawyer?

JO: We may never see that [Laughs.] Everyone can imagine a continuation in their own way. The story is self-conclusive, so there is no sequel. By the end, the two of them are living their relationship freely, and that really is a happy ending in every sense.

SGF: You describe Ethan as someone who has not enjoyed too much family love just because he is a man. Do you feel that those gender differences in education still occur?

JO: Well, Ethan is a very peculiar character that has not too much relevance because, as I said before, I did not to want to mislead the readers from the pairing Frankie/Gigi. Does he deserve his own novel? Maybe, but I have not considered this so far. I do not rule it out, but it cannot be possible in the short run. And, yes: less and less, but there are still certain differences between boys and girls in respect to education. It has to do with society and parents—the main educators—as well.

SGF: Both the boisterous Hannah, Jan’s last fling, and the young customers of the store where Frankie works are portrayed in a very sarcastic way. At your age, is there something that you would like to preach them?

JO: Not at all. Youth has its peculiarities, and maturity has its own. My descriptions are not intended to be critical, only anecdotal and fun; just a reflection of the current society, but with no condemning tone by a long shot. Hannah’s episode is one of the multiple ways of introducing Jan. Sometimes anecdotes and experiences tell a lot about their protagonists.

SGF: In Frankie’s mouth you put a wish that in the Obama era the film industry will show more homosexual relationships and different types of families. In hindsight, do you think that it happened like that?

JO: I cannot say for sure, but if I were an American film producer and an African-American becomes the President of the United States, I would know that I have to reflect it in some way, as this is not just an ordinary change. It represents an unprecedented historical and social milestone. That must be explained, especially to the younger generations, in order to show them that another freer world is possible. I saw The Princess and the Frog[1] and I loved to see an African-American protagonist in a Disney movie. And, like Frankie, I bet that we will see a homosexual relationship in upcoming animated films.[2] But now we are in the time of Trump. . .

SGF: Can you tell something about your upcoming projects?

JO: OK, it will be a psychological thriller set in USA and published under the pen name of Niamh Byrne again. That is all I can tell.

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[1] This Walt Disney picture was released the very same year of the first inauguration of President Obama: 2009.

[2] For instance, in 2012 we had the opportunity to see an animated film with a gay (supporting) character on the big screen: Mitch—voiced by Casey Affleck—in ParaNorman (Focus Features-Laika Entertainment)

Rich Dyke, Poor Dyke

On Niamh Byrne’s Contigo hasta el infinito (“To Infinity with You”)

This time spanishgayfiction.blogspot.com presents a 2019 new released novel concerned with the love story between two 30-year-old girls at the crossroads of their lives. The narrator is Frances Donahue, a.k.a. Frankie, one of the girls in question. This big, tough, silver grey-eyed Scottish blonde wants us to know her story, and we learn from her that she is currently (we are in 2015) living in Amsterdam after graduating from Law School. No, she is not a lawyer—she claims that she is not precisely fond of books—; Frankie’s forbidding façade (a body covered up with spooky tattoos, crowned by a surly expression) makes her the perfect intimidating clerk for annoying, foolish customers in a clothing store. She also smokes like a chimney, follows the unhealthiest diet ever, and keeps her small apartment as messy as it gets. Can you picture this butchy Bridget Jones in Law School? Neither can we. But, you know, everyone has a weakness for someone, and now it is time to introduce Frankie’s mother, Karen. This woman has been working as a cleaner for 18 hours a day aiming to finance a college degree to her daughter. Frankie did not dare let her mommy down. Now Karen believes that her daughter is a successful lawyer. . .and Frankie is not refuting at all.

Karen is also pitiable since she is married to Jack, Frankie’s father; a rowdy boozer, a gambling addict, a male chauvinist pig, and therefore the most deserving target of his daughter’s poisonous remarks. As a matter of fact, witnessing her parents’ marriage has made Frankie skeptical about couple relationships since her early years. No matter how hard-bitten Frankie strikes as, Karen can read her daughter’s mind: Frankie is just seeking for true love.

Has she already found it? All we can say is: HELL YES!! It was June 2010, and Frankie was just chatting through Facebook. There she discovered an old high school classmate, Georgia MacFarland. By those days they were not friends: Georgia was the shy poor little rich girl, and Frankie was the wild elusive low-class lass. That is what we call irreconcilable differences! However, Frankie believes that opposites attract; this contact became gradually closer, and now, five years later, they are a solid duet. Funnily enough, both Frankie and Gigi (Georgia’s pet name) had been heterosexual so far. In her college days, Frankie used to hang out with two boys by turns. . .without their knowledge!

This doublet is planning to live together once that Gigi has finished her two-year PhD in Medieval Studies in the University of Glasgow. Frankie would like to settle down in Amsterdam: this place means FREEDOM for her. Au contraire, she finds Glasgow as no city for bold dykes. Any trouble ahead? Neither of them has talked to their families about their true sexual orientation and each other’s sweetheart yet. Anyway, Frankie just wants to relax; that is why she is taking a few weeks off from work. She would love a purse-to-purse meeting with Gigi, but her girl is about to do her thesis defense. No time for love. . .Sometimes Fortune smiles on you in the weirdest ways, and Frankie becomes a lucky girl thanks to a call from her brother Ethan. Have not we talked about him yet? Ethan is 8 years elder than Frankie, and left the family home when he turned 18. He was a third rate professional boxer, but now he is running a club in Edinburgh. Frankie sees her brother as a younger version of Jack: the quarrelsome kind, a loose cannon neglecting his kins, this relative you only meet again for Christmas. Ethan informs his sister of Jack’s getting his way again after leaving Karen penniless; and now Frankie must support mom (financially, of course): if Karen does not pay the rent, she will get evicted.

Every cloud has a silver lining; this trip to Glasgow will be a happy time to pay Gigi a surprise visit! Also, these two lovebirds can set their families straight about their romance once and for all. It is springtime in the gay city of Amsterdam, and Frankie feels enthusiastic about her upcoming projects. This evening she decides to meet her ex Jan. No, she is not missing his Amsterdammertje. She just wants someone to enjoy the moment with (and have some drinks with too!). When Jan learns about Frankie’s scheme, he cannot help some joking. Gigi is the only daughter of Nathaniel and Brianna MacFarland, who met in a fox hunting season. Thanks to the family fortune, Gigi can afford a long-lasting college background as well as the twosome’s expenses when meeting in diverse European capital cities. . .Contrary to the popular belief, webcam sex is not enough for Millennials too. . .This quasi-regal family, who can trace their lineage back to Adam, own a country seat in Balmoral close to the Windsors’ summer castle. The MacFarlands cannot hardly wait for their little girl to wrap up her doctoral degree (which they find needless), and then pick a husband of similar status. May an over-tattooed, foul-mouthed punk from the slums of Glasgow be the front runner? Jan warns that Frankie’s surprise might get the other way round—

Back to the misty Glasgow, mother and daughter reunite after a 6-year separation. Karen senses that Frankie is infatuated; then it is about time to have an open and honest conversation. Karen’s reaction is not negative, though she suggests her daughter not to let be seen with Gigi too much in order to avoid becoming the talk of the town. She also finds weird to keep a relationship through social media. To Frankie’s surprise, Karen shares that Ethan has started to give her money occasionally. Wow! That means Ethan is maturing. Now Frankie is not the only member of the family backing the mother. That is a relief! After good news, Frankie lets passion lead her footsteps to the college residence.

When knocking on Gigi’s door, an unfamiliar voice answers back. Frankie steps in, and she is received by the very Brianna MacFarland with her most disapproving glance. Gigi introduces Frankie to her mother as an old high school classmate. Brianna takes advantage of the moment to criticize her daughter’s judgment: her unscrupulousness in choosing friends, her inclination towards public education. . .Mother and daughter have an argument before an astonished version of Frankie. Gigi eventually manages to get rid of Mrs. Almanach de Gotha. At last! All by themselves after a long, long time. Frankie has been missing her freckly, red-haired, violet-eyed Chanel devotee so much!

After a deep-lady pond diving, Gigi tries to downplay her mother’s words. She also claims that Glasgow has changed a lot since Frankie flew to the Netherlands, and LGBT people can live easier in the most populous city in Scotland. It seems that Gigi has also changed; she is not that timid girl constantly worrying about what others think of her anymore. Just when they are about to take another dip, Karen is calling to reveal that Jack has been hit by a car. Frankie becomes speechless, but she does not shed a single tear. Gigi knows well that Frankie’s hooligan style is just acting; she does not want to be seen crying, just that. This is Gigi’s moment to demonstrate that she is up and ready to fight for their love, and the first step is getting to know a part of Glasgow that she has never dare set foot before.

A week after, this is the way things are: Jack is buried, and Gigi is living with Frankie and Karen in their humble abode. Gigi and Karen have hit it off from the start. Gigi is comforting both Frankie and her mother, and Karen finds it incredibly sweet. Karen compares her daughter’s woman to a beautiful maiden from ancient times. In parallel, the Donahue Girls provide with a quiet atmosphere for Gigi’s finishing touch to her thesis.

And the big day has finally arrived! While Gigi is having a rough time before the examining board, Frankie receives a concise message from Brianna: they need to talk. The appointment will take place in the fanciest hotel in Glasgow, upon Brianna’s request. Frankie is afraid that Brianna is determined to bribe her to leave her adored offspring. Thus, she decides to turn on the Poker-Face mode for the occasion, dress discreetly (i.e., all tattoos out of sight), and take a taxi to prevent herself from adsorbing the usual smelly fragrances of the bus. When she finally faces Brianna, she blurts out that nobody buys her off. Brianna replies that she is not that clunky; she does not mean to be an obstacle for their affair. Yes, Brianna guessed that Frankie and Gigi were more than mere acquaintances: she is a snob, not a dumb. However, has Frankie realized that her beloved one is a refined dame used to a life in a golden cage? OK, Gigi has been living in her neighborhood for a week but, how long will it take before she starts getting bored? Brianna does not believe that their relationship is going to last forever, and she suspects that Frankie feels the same. Discouraging Frankie was not the only aim for this rendezvous; Brianna also invites her to the party that they are throwing tonight to celebrate Gigi’s success. Before they say goodbye for now, Brianna announces that Scotland’s most handsome, prosperous, high-class single men will be among guests, all of them eagerly interested in marrying Gigi. The fight has just begun!

As it could not be otherwise, Frankie is welcomed by the MacFarlands’ butler, who leads her to the tea room. There she will meet a polite-but-distant Brianna as well as a new character: Brianna’s mother-in-law, apparently quite amused with Frankie. Not too long after Frankie’s arrival, cat-eyed, good-looking Niall makes his appearance. Who is this guy? Gigi has never told about him! He is introduced as an old friend of the family (not too old according to Frankie).

Suddenly, Gigi pops up, grabs Frankie by her arm and pushes her upstairs. Now locked in Gigi’s five-star room, she cannot help kiss and squeeze her suspicious girl; Frankie tries to figure out why Gigi has been so mysterious about this Niall that Brianna looks up to as if he were the son-in-law of the year. But Frankie does not need to panic, as Gigi explains that she has always put Niall in the friend zone. Does Niall share the same view? Frankie slips into an evening dress from Gigi’s magnificent collection, and then the two of them go downstairs to meet the guests crowding in the banquet hall.

During the dinner, Frankie feels extremely out of place. Niall is sitting close to Gigi, and they both are chatting and laughing and loving it all. To make things worse, the MacFarland patriarch slams current romances via social media, praising the old-fashion style, such as his courtship of Brianna; this (merry?) couple have never been separated since the very moment they met. On the other side of the table, Brianna is glaring at Frankie.

Cinderella never stays after midnight, so Frankie excuses herself and exits the room. Gigi catches up with her to assure that there is nothing to be jealous of Niall or anyone else. Gigi also admits that her mother has tried to persuade Niall into seducing her, but Brianna is nothing but a spoiled girl. Just to get Frankie smaller, Brianna has made too much of her daughter’s social status: in fact, Gigi is seen as a tedious spinster, so there is no horde of suitors anywhere.

Nonetheless, Frankie has confirmed tonight that this life is not for her; she will always feel like a fish out of water. She firmly believes that sooner rather than later social differences will weigh heavily, and she is determined to call things off.

Oh, no! This is the end for these lovely valentines! They are in need of a Fairy Godmother to solve the problem, therefore it is Niall’s turn. He confesses to Frankie that he has never felt attracted to Gigi, as she is not his type. Surprisingly, it is Frankie!! When Frankie realizes that she is on the brink of losing Gigi, she rushes back in the hall. There, before everybody’s eyes, Gigi kisses Frankie. Gigi l’Amorosa: this is all that Frankie needs!

We find a puzzling change in the last chapter; now it is Gigi who tells the rest of the story. She notes that neither Nat nor Bri is happy to see their preppy daughter with that ultra-inked trashy woman. Still, this is not going to mean a schism between Gigi and her parents at this stage of the game. Actually, every time Gigi shows up at home, her only purpose is visiting all the abandoned animals that she has been rescuing and fostering there through the years. Unlike her son and daughter-in-law, Gigi’s Granny approves of their relationship. When she was young, this funny lady was the subject of high society’s gossip given that she married an arty filmmaker, a true scandal at the time. Now she finds very entertaining to have a lesbian granddaughter. When the party is over, the MacFarland heiress says goodbye to Niall and invites him to visit them in Amsterdam in the future. But these passionate quinies’ next stop is Edinburgh, where they have been enjoying la dolce vita for the last ten days. After all, Gigi declares that what she likes most is her girl’s making her laugh. . .and scream in bed.

We must accept that the lady-and-the-tramp love story cliché is not the most unconventional in fiction so far (and particularly in romance novels), but in this case the result is really pleasant because of its Austen-evoking, unceasingly ironic tone. If we had to make a choice on one single feature of Niamh Byrne’s skills, we definitely would take her dialogues. Funny, witty, casual, arrogant, conflicting. . .Not only the protagonists but all the rest of characters are perfectly shaped thanks to the way the author make them speak their minds. This book can also be seen as a reminder of the never-ending problem in this post-2008 economic crisis society: Money. The (seemingly) simplest stories tell the painful truth about the state of affairs plainly, and more often than we use to concede.

Interview with Julio Videras

They say you never forget your first love. Seemingly, it is the same in the case of your first comic book published: Julio Videras (Granada, 1976) remembers his experience with Cornelia, as well as he takes a close look at the question of gender roles, the comic universe, creator’s frustration, and the unexpected paths to real love.

SPANISH GAY FICTION: On the dedication page, you say that it was the illustrator Lydia Sánchez the one who created the character of Cornelia. Then, how did you get to this project?

JULIO VIDERAS: Indeed, the authorship of the character of Cornelia is Lydia’s. While checking out her blog those days I found several designs of the character, and suddenly my brain clicked into gear. I had the image, I had the concept. . .then I just had to build up the narrative.

SGF: Cornelia was published in 2008, the year of the global economic crisis outburst. The protagonist is a 22-year-old student living in an apartment shared with three other people, as she can’t hardly make ends meet with two underpaid jobs. . .Were you expecting the catastrophe drawing near back then?

JV: Well, to be honest I think not [Laughs.] At that time I had a job, and I was a young guy full of many hopes and dreams. However, my college days—shitty jobs, roommates—were still fresh in my mind.

SGF: What did Cornelia mean in your career in the comic world?

JV: It was my first published work and as such, I love it and hate it in equal measure. Except some reviews of the time, the comic book passed unnoticed. However, the people who bet on Cornelia feel affection for it. It was hard in my case, as a series of last-minute changes beyond my control forced me to rewrite the script, especially the final section. I have to say that I have never been very happy with that ending, and I have always dreamed of making a 2.0 version where the story was much more perfect but—C’est la vie.

SGF: What about the LGBT community’s opinions about Cornelia?

JV: Well, the truth is that I do not know. A lesbian friend loved the story, and she especially liked the natural way in which a lesbian relationship is portrayed. For me, writing a story with so many female characters and so much emotional burden was a true challenge.

SGF: And personally, what does Cornelia mean to you? Does it differ much from your other works?

JV: No doubt Cornelia stands out in my catalog. Perhaps it is my least-remembered work for the main audience. But, despite the flaws, it is undoubtedly the most important for me, since it was the first one that I published; also because of the subject I was dealing with, and, above all, I proved to myself that I could produce stories that could reach an unusual audience in the comic book universe.

SGF: If there is something remarkable in Cornelia, it is precisely the lightness of its plot. Did you worry that this seeming insignificance could go against the result? After ten years since its publication, would you make any change on the script?

JV: Actually, the story practically wrote itself. Many people have asked me if the end was planned from the beginning, and it really was not. The point was basically describing a day in the life of Cornelia, full of sorrows and lacking of joys, like a vital snapshot. However, when I was approaching the end, the denouement seemed to be as powerful as a kick straight into face; the story could only have one possible ending. Well, as I have already mentioned, the original ending was different, more developed. The final scene was really tender, and it worked as a final moral: Love happens when you least expect it.

SGF: Is there any inspirational muse behind Cornelia?

JV: Well, even if it does not seem like it, Kevin Smith’s Chasing Amy[1] was a great inspiration for Cornelia.

SGF: Your descriptions on the usual customers in a comic book shop are really funny. What is your opinion about people who are into comics?

JV: Next question [Laughs.] Of course, a good scriptwriter knows how to mix inventions and personal experiences in equal shares when producing a story, and Cornelia is certainly not an exception. I read comics myself, so I find comic readers wonderful and interesting people. The best gatherings in which I have taken part have always been about movies or comics.

SGF: Those characters are seen through the eyes of the protagonist. Do you think that women see the world of comic books from a different perspective than men? How responsible are comic book authors in that difference?

JV: Although the trend is changing, the comic universe is still mostly for guys. The reason? Well, I guess the same happens in the movies: both genders have different perceptions, sensibilities and curiosities. In my case, I never tried to make Cornelia a story for women; I just wanted to tell a story about human relationships with all its implications. Doing this from the perspective of a female character has been one of the most difficult challenges in my career as a comic writer.

SGF: Regarding the female viewpoint, this comic follows the chick-lit pattern. Being a man, was it difficult to approach this genre? As for the readers’ response, has any woman told you that it looks like a comic written by a woman or, on the contrary, they tell you that it is obvious that there is a man behind the script?

JV: As a matter of fact it was a real challenge, but in general I was satisfied with the result. When you write a slow-paced story like this, the script works in a very different way; these stories are much more sustained on the content than the form. Dialogues are as important as silent panels; you must seek affinity with the reader, touching those feelings deep inside us all. Like Cornelia, we all have suffered anguish, disappointment, and the weight of the world on our shoulders; we all have cried sometimes because of unrequited love, or we have asked ourselves the reason of many things happening to us. Basically, Cornelia is nothing else but the story of someone who, in the chaos of everyday life, finds happiness where she least expects it. Some female readers have told me that this story is too sensitive to be written by a man [Laughs.]

SGF: Regarding the ending, why did you decide to make Cornelia turn homosexual? Do you agree with Rocío when she says that “if people cared to look for love only (no matter the question of gender), the world would be a much more beautiful place”? Have you applied this philosophy in real life?

JV: As I have already mentioned, the story led me to that ending on its own. To be honest, today I could not imagine another possible ending now. And I absolutely agree on Rocío’s theory. I feel my answer below is perfect to answer this question too [Laughs.]

SGF: Among your dedications there is someone that you describe as your future wife. In the comic, Salva fatefully runs into his ex, who left him for another guy just a few days before they were to get married. Were you expressing your fears at that moment?

JV: Well, I can say that my future wife ended up becoming my current wife [Laughs.] And to everyone’s relief, I did it willingly and consciously.

SGF: How similar is Salva to you? You describe him as a huge fan of comics, roleplaying, horror movies and Italian food—

JV: Not much—except that I am a huge fan of comics, roleplaying, horror movies and Italian food [Laughs.]

SGF: Cornelia was Lydia Sánchez’s first published comic also. What is your opinion about her work? Considering that you have worked with male and female artists, would you highlight any difference between both sexes in the work process as well as the result?

JV: Lydia put her heart and soul into every single page, and we both suffered a lot to push this project forward. In point of fact, I have been disconnected from the professional world of comic books for a few years now and, except that I have come across her in some conventions in Barcelona, I have not followed her career very closely. I have truly taken a look to some of her later works, but I would be lying if I said that I know what she is currently involved in. Well, the only female illustrator that I have ever worked with is Lydia, so I do not have much experience about it either. However, I am sure that this story would have been very different had the illustrator been a man.

SGF: Did you and Lydia Sánchez ponder over continuing Cornelia’s story in later comics?

JV: I think that we only dreamed of publishing our first work at all costs at that time. I really do not remember if we ever talked about it; each one started with other projects, and our professional paths did not cross again.

SGF: What are your most immediate projects?

JV: Right now I am retired, though I threaten to return—

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[1] Cornelia shares with this touching 1997 American movie (Quentin Tarantino claimed that this was his favorite film that year) a casual way in storytelling, as well as a thought-provoking standpoint in the question of gender roles in romantic relationships. Note that both this Spanish comic book and Mr. Smith’s film depict lesbian characters created by male straight writers. Additionally, Chasing Amy is set in the American indie comic world, and Kevin Smith is a comic book writer himself.

The Taste of Her Cherry Chapstick

On Lydia Sánchez and Julio Videras’s Cornelia

Yes! As you may have guessed, here in spanishgayfiction.blogspot.com we could not help recalling Katy Perry’s Sapphic hit when approaching this comic book published in 2008: a dazzling story around the whimsical, mysterious pathways to Happiness.

Our friendly protagonist is Cornelia, a 22-year-old student of Fine Arts. She has two jobs, thus she can’t hardly attend in classroom: in the mornings, as a shop assistant in the comic store Friky Planet; by night, as a waitress in a club.

Cornelia lives in an apartment in Barcelona with two girls and a boy. The girls are:

·Laura, a somehow dull and daffy blonde living in Barcelona for 10 years, trying to make her way in the world of acting though she is not lucky enough in auditions;

·and Rocío, a girl-crazy, passionate brunette, who successfully works in a publicity agency. Cornelia’s colleague in the night club, Pablito Danger, a hornball who jumps into each and every single woman, feels a special (and male-chauvinist) morbid fascination for her. His attitude extremely irritates Cornelia.

Cornelia is kind to the others: Luigi, the Italian restaurant owner; the alley cats she feeds up; the weirdo who is always watching through the other side of the store window; Antonio, the deliveryman; the boy intimidated by his mother. . .but particularly to Salva. He is the owner of Friky Planet (Salva calls freaks to the comic nerds); he is also Cornelia’s Prince Charming. She calls him Culito Perfecto—“Perfect Little Ass.” Salva is a 30-year-old scatterbrain, huge fan of comics, roleplaying, horror movies and Italian food. He is continuously asking Cornelia to do extra hours, since Salva is really busy with his other job in a business consultancy.

Today Cornelia takes advantage from her favor in order to get an invitation for lunch in a wok, as well as a stolen kiss. Eventually, Salva stands her up in the restaurant. Nevertheless, in the afternoon she must go back to the store to do her promised duty.

Later in the club, her girlfriends go to see her at the other side of the bar. There, Cornelia recounts her situation with Salva. Rocío suggests that she ignores men and goes lesbian. To brighten up her day, Rocío tells a funny anecdote about how she flirted with a shop-assistant in a lingerie store. Rocío is always sweet and thoughtful to her. To Rocío, Cornelia is nice, pretty and funny, though just a little bit neurotic. She recommends Cornelia to kiss Prince Charming off and try to find the person she can connect with and feel happy and complete. Cornelia admits that Rocío cares about her more than Salva.

Speak of the devil, Salva makes an attentive appearance, with an apology in his lips and a rose in his hand, guaranteeing a rewarding dinner to Cornelia. Rocío is not at all happy with him.

A week later, Cornelia seems to have forgotten the incident. By taking things slow, Cornelia hopes that Salva takes seriously the chance of a relationship: They together walk out, have lunch, go to the movies, do some shopping—Salva also picks Cornelia up in the club after working all night. He finally passes care inspection, so they arrange a celebration date. Besides, Cornelia has asked her roommates to leave the apartment that night for more intimacy.

The door bell is ringing. Rocío warns Salva not to blow it again, otherwise he would be in serious trouble. Salva gives Cornelia a beautiful butterfly barrette that she immediately puts on her hair to add a sparkling touch to her stunning look tonight.

During the dinner the romantic couple makes a toast with water—tough luck!: It starts raining before entering the hot spot where Salva brings Cornelia after. There, Cornelia will find out Salva’s unexpected skills as a lively dancer. When Cornelia goes to the restroom, Salva’s ex-fiancée Lidia suddenly pops up. Lidia had gone off with an American man, leaving Salva practically standing at the altar. But things did not go well, and now Lidia seems ready to get Salva back at any costs.

Lidia does not accept Salva’s refusal, so she decides to come to the fore and kiss him. Salva acts reluctant at first, but later he lets her take control. To top it all, Cornelia comes back and has a major setback to the delight of Lidia. Our unfortunate heroine rushes out of the club, and walks back home in the rain.

Rocío recognizes her from the taxi. She gets off and shelters Cornelia under her umbrella; she also takes off her coat to cover her soaking humbled friend. Once Cornelia has told the story, Rocío advises her to ignore Salva for good. Cornelia starts saying that she and Rocío—the two of them—in others circumstances—But Rocío does not let her finish: she claims that the world would be a much more beautiful place if people worried about searching for love only, no matter the significant other’s gender. Rocío confesses that she has wanted to kiss Cornelia for too long, and she does it. The passionate brunette has dropped the umbrella: neither of them seems to feel the rain. Cornelia finally kissed a girl—and she definitely liked it!!!

Interview with Javier Vázquez

Javier Vázquez and his dog Aarón

Javier Vázquez (Madrid, 1981) is not only the author of “Comiéndote a besos,” but also a collaborator of NGO Imagina MÁS. This young globetrotter’s experience with HIV+ individuals turned out essential when producing this motivating story. Varied issues such as the city of Madrid, lack of affection, unjustified fears, social rejection, the power of theatre, or the progression in the fight against the disease are brought up through his tasty speech. Our advice to the readers: please don’t miss it.

SPANISH GAY FICTION: Where does such an original project like this come from?

JAVIER VÁZQUEZ: It all started one afternoon. My colleague Iván and I were lying on the grass in El Retiro.[1] Suddenly, Iván said: “Hey! Listen to this song posted on Facebook.” It was a video showing Rozalén singing “Comiéndote a besos” in a bar. No wonder the two of us went crazy. Then I said to Iván: “We need to meet this girl.” So I found her Facebook ID and immediately sent an invitation to perform in the presentation of one of our campaigns. I will never forget that day. She was wearing a white dress, carrying her guitar and smiling hugely. We have been friends since then. As a matter of fact, she invited us to be some of the first in listening to her first album and visit the making of “Comiéndote a besos” music video, and we have done many things together. Let’s say that we were lucky enough to see how María was deservedly becoming very famous in the world of music. When we suggested writing a short story based on her song, she just loved the idea!

Back then, I had purchased all Los colores olvidados stories,[2] which fascinated me: there are paper books for sale, but you can also find interactive versions available. Thus, I suggested my colleagues making the story interactive. Doing a search on the Internet, we checked that there was no fictional story on HIV in either Spanish or any other language, and all the interactive books on HIV had to do with information on the virus.

SGF: Why did you decide to get involved in the fight against the disease and HIV people support?

JV: I became conscious of the importance of HIV when I won a ticket to attend the musical Rent in New York. I had seen the film some years before, but I did not take too much notice. Rent left me impressed. Just awesome! It is a shame that this is not currently being staged. The work is set in the 1980s, when people died of HIV as there was no medical treatment. Far from focusing on the tragedy, it is about love. In fact, the main theme, “Seasons of Love”. . .believe me when I say that it can give you goosebumps when you are present at the live performance. Well, the thing is that some years later, when some islands of Scotland were my residence, I got the job of my dreams. I had to travel around the world doing educational projects with secondary education students. One of these projects led me to Cape Town for a two-week voluntary work in a hospital for HIV positive orphans and an orphanage located in a township, quite similar to Brazil’s favelas. At first we were a kind of scared because of that usual ridiculous worrying about HIV: “what if a kid accidentally cuts himself when he is playing with me? What should I do? Should I help him or wait for a doctor?” The good thing is that the hospital staff taught us about everything that we had to know, so all fears disappeared.

After 7 years living abroad, I came back to Madrid and that is when I met Tere and Iván, my current NGO colleagues.

SGF: “Comiéndote a besos” deals with HIV in a more emotional than medical way. Could it be said that seropositive people’s major problem today has to do with personal or social relationships rather than a struggle for life?

JV: Initially one wonders after testing positive for HIV: “Oh my God! What is going to happen? Will I get ill?” This is the normal thing; people (and especially young people) consider themselves unbeatable, and only the elderly or others contract diseases. So when they are just diagnosed with HIV they feel vulnerable and start to think of their health and death. Luckily, they soon see that there is no need to worry. Doctors do their best to explain clearly that nothing bad is going to happen; thanks to the treatment, HIV is nothing but a chronic disease.

The following problem is the fear of rejection. If it were the case of any other disease, you would talk to your friends and relatives first to feel their support. But this is HIV: there is silence instead, as you are afraid of being judged and marginalized. Let’s not forget that nowadays HIV is mainly sexually transmitted, and sex is a sin. . .So if you have got HIV, that is because “you have been looking for it,” “who knows what you have done!” Regarding all this, how to tell your parents, your friends, your partner?—

SGF: How would you summarize the progression of the fight against HIV since it was discovered up to its evolution so far?

JV: I think that there are two ways: medical and social. HIV research has advanced by leaps and bounds: from a deadly disease of which nothing was known to a chronic disease whose patients’ life expectancy is similar to the rest of the population. As far as the treatment is concerned, from dozens of pills with terrible side effects to a single pill with almost no adverse effect. Moreover, now we know that the virus cannot be transmitted by HIV-positive individuals undergoing treatment and having undetectable viral load. This way, a heterosexual couple willing to have a baby can do it naturally, as there is no risk of transmission to the baby or your partner. There has also been a progress in the prevention issue, besides the prophylactic; we will soon have the pre-exposure prophylaxis (which is similar to the morning after pill) available in Spain.[3]

Regarding the social problem, there has been very little advancement. The old fears and stigmas still remain the same. We think that HIV has nothing to do with us but people acting in a reprehensible manner, and that is not true. In our NGO there is an HIV+ volunteer called Miguel Caballero, who is a blogger in our website. I remember one of his posts saying (more or less): “One day there will be a cure for HIV and it will cease to exist, but we must learn from what it has brought about, what it has caused in society, the discrimination that it has provoked. If we do not learn from it, if our society does not improve, we will achieve nothing, as one day it all will recur again.”

SGF: The story talks about the questions on sexual relationships when testing for HIV. How do you tackle this conversation in your NGO?

JV: Nobody feels at ease when talking about sexuality, let alone among strangers. Hence, humanity and professionalism are essential in this situation. There is a big difference between a health center staff whose first inquiry is: “How many sexual partners have you had?,” and when you answer: “No idea,” they look at you with smirky eyes and ironically ask: “100? 500? 1,000?”, and places like Imagina MÁS, where we first set things straight: we are not judging you, and our behavior is closer and more humane.

SGF: What is the usual experience with people testing positive?

JV: Generally, there are two kinds of reaction: the pragmatic type accepts the situation and learns all that they have to do immediately, and the emotionally collapsed type tends not to believe what is happening; they freeze due to the fear, look for other place to get tested as they believe that the result is wrong, etc. In any case, they always have our back. In Imagina MÁS we may take them to the health center or our personal development group. Our psychologists can assist them too. In short, we are not going to leave them alone.

SGF: In “Comiéndote a besos” you mention support groups. How do they help people in the question of social rejection?

JV: Personal development groups are magic. In three months, you see how shocked people, scared people, hopeless people break away with everything paralyzing them and develop a spectacular personal growth. Many of them go stronger, resilient. And it is all thanks to people leading the groups and mutual support. Concerning social rejection, it is a two-way street. There is a general social rejection of HIV+ individuals—several studies from the Department of Health state this—but there is also the internal serophobia preventing people from opening up and seeking for support in their surroundings.

SGF: There are many shows of affection such as hugs depicted throughout the story. How important is affection in the case of HIV+ people?

JV: There is a generalized lack of affection; we use an emotional protective shield because showing our feelings makes us look weak and vulnerable. Many times words are out of place, and the only thing that we need is someone hugging us or holding our hand. There is a very beautiful text by Roy Galán[4] called “Haz que no parezca amor” [“Make It Does Not Look Like Love”] just about this: the way we pretend that we do not feel, that we are free and independent, that nothing hurts us at all. There is a sentence that I find awesome: “Dime tú, cómo lo haces para no sentir algo cuando lo haces” [“Tell me, how do you do so as not to feel when you make it?”]. I think that everything is summed up here.

SGF: Are you happy with the audience reaction to “Comiéndote a besos”?

JV: I was a little bit overwhelmed at first, as we were constantly receiving mails and messages in gratitude for the story. I did not fully understand what was happening; in fact, I had never read the story. I felt really embarrassed. Until one day Rozalén compelled me to listen while she was reading aloud. You can read some people reviews in Spanish at the website.

To date, more than 40 thousand people have read the story, and that is a great deal! We received the Empodera Audience Award[5] for the best online social work initiative. I think that I will not write again. All that came in its proper moment; I am not a professional writer but, well. . .you never can tell.

SGF: How true is this story?

JV: “Comiéndote a besos” is a fictional story, but based on everyday events. With regard to María, she is just the way she expresses herself in the song. She can certainly give a better explanation, but I know that she created the song for a contest for the fight against HIV stigma. She tried to put herself in the shoes of a girl whose boyfriend has just told her that he is HIV positive, and so the song came up. The rest of characters are pieces of people or experiences of my life. Rafa is real; he is a nurse working in Madrid and he is just like in the story: a lively, cheerful, sensitive person. Tere is a social worker in our NGO, and believe me when I say that I could not ask for a better colleague than her.

Except for the portrayal of Rozalén, the characters have nothing to do with their real doubles in the question of appearance. The illustrator Daniel Estandía is a friend of Iván’s and he had already collaborated with us before. I think that he was the best choice for the illustrations. Daniel had the go-ahead to do whatever he believed it was best, but we were sure that it should be something really visual, optimistic and luminous.

SGF: I find really appealing your description of Madrid—

JV: I am from Madrid, though I have spent many summers and weekends in a village of Segovia.[6] Madrid has loads of thrilling power; it can knock you out once and get your head in the clouds later. Let’s be honest: as it is a big city, everything goes faster; sometimes you can get stressed and overwhelmed. One day you meet really cool people and the day after you do not hear about them anymore. However, I would never move to anywhere else (well, Berlin maybe), even though I have lived in many places in the world. No doubt every place has something special. Madrid is not the most modern, beautiful, innovative city, but it is a friendly town. Anyway, I understand that it can be intolerable when you have just come to live in. That is why I created María and Pedro: two characters coming to Madrid seeking freedom and a career, though they soon realize that competition is brutal and not everything is what it seems to be.

SGF: Where does the idea of turning the story into a play come from?

JV: It came up naturally. For the story launch, we decided that the best way to make an impact on the audience was staging it. Some of our friends are actors, so we told Juan Silvestre and Pablo Cabrera and they managed to find the rest of the team, director Asier Andueza, actor Fernando Bodega and actress Carla Piñana. Besides, we asked another friend, Ana Lambarri, for help with turning the narration into a dialog format. When the performance was over you could see that everybody was in shock. Many people were sobbing uncontrollably and, after an awkward silence, everybody clapped without a break. Considering this, we decided to talk to actor-director-playwright Abel Zamora so that he could turn it into microteatro,[7] but it finally developed into an average length play. It has already been running for three seasons in Madrid, tickets sold out. The play has been staged in Pamplona and Valencia, and it will come back to Madrid soon. I am very much satisfied! Especially during the first performances, because we debated the play after. I remember that one day a boy came and told that he was HIV positive and he could get on thanks to the support of one of the players. Also a mother with tears in her eyes gave thanks since her son was HIV+ and she did not know how to help him; and a social worker from Pamplona was grateful too as the play lets him and his coworkers cry and release all the pressure that they feel when the test results are positive. I think that this is wonderful and the power of drama is immense, though not so much esteemed as it deserves in Spain. Such a pity.

SGF: What are you working on now? Can you say something about your next projects?

JV: Now I am 100% devoted to work in Imagina MÁS. We are doing thousands of things all the while, but we always try to save some time for creative meetings which are really motivational. . .There will be new surprises soon, we love making noise! [Laughs.]

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[1] See “The Positive Muse” entry, footnote 5.

[2] The Forgotten Colors: A series of stories for all ages produced as an educational project by Spanish NGO Educación sin fronteras.

[3] This preemptive use of drugs has recently been approved by the European Union.

[4] Roy Galán (Santiago de Compostela, 1980), just as many others, has a lot to thank Mark Zuckerberg for. His sharp, sensitive, romantic, feminist texts posted on Facebook caught the attention of many Spanish users, and now he has become a successful professional writer.

[5] Empodera Awards are given annually since 2010 by La Fundación Cibervoluntarios [“Cyber Volunteers Foundation”] to recognize excellence in social innovation initiatives as well as help them achieve a major impact on society.

[6] 54 miles from Madrid, Segovia is one of the 9 provinces making up the autonomous community of Castilla y León. Its major attraction, the Roman aqueduct, was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.

[7] From the first experience in 2009, this brand-new minimalist dramatic performance has definitely succeeded in Madrid. It consists in a short play (around 15 minutes long) staged in a small room before a small audience. The audience is so close to the players that they can even feel their breath.