La casualidad hizo que me encontrara en Guadalajara, en casa de mi amigo cubano-mexicano Waldo Saavedra, cuando uno de mis referentes en el periodismo –sus reportajes en Juventud Rebelde marcaban época cuando yo redactaba mis primeras notas– visitaba el estado de Jalisco y fuera invitado por aquel a una velada en Los Gavilanes, la finca de las afueras en donde reside el pintor. Leonardo Padura –quien fuera declarado Doctor Honoris Causa de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)– se presentó así, como lo conocí en las peñas de El Caimán Barbudo en los años ochenta: uno más, casi optando por pasar inadvertido.
Entre tanta gente presente me fue imposible abordarlo. Había preparado un cuestionario para no perder la oportunidad de tenerlo tan a tiro como estuvieron entre sí los personajes centrales de El hombre que amaba a los perros. No quise agredirlo con mi impertinencia. Mas otra vez gracias a Waldo –y a la humildad del escritor– pude hurgar en algunos resquicios de su pensamiento.
¿Qué tiene el escritor Padura del periodista que es, y viceversa?
“Creo que desde que comencé a intentar escribir, y desde que estoy escribiendo de manera más o menos profesional, el periodismo y la literatura han sido dos formas de expresión complementarias, en las cuales, en cada momento, he puesto lo que la necesidad o la capacidad de esas formas expresivas me han permitido. Soy un escritor-periodista y también un periodista-escritor, y mis ficciones y reportajes están absolutamente contaminados de una y otra expresión. A través del periodismo evacuo preocupaciones que no puedo llevar a mis novelas, y desde las novelas, las que no puedo o quiero resolver en un texto periodístico, pero no discrimino importancias sociales y estéticas ni de uno ni de otro. El periodismo, además, sobre todo el que hice en la década del ochenta, fue decisivo para mi evolución como escritor, pues me permitió trabajar formas, lenguajes, estructuras que luego llevaría a mis novelas… Y, de hecho, todavía hoy soy las dos cosas, me expreso en los dos medios, y le doy a cada uno toda la dignidad que merece”.
¿Escribir es un acto de soledad, de egoísmo…?
“Es un acto de soledad social… No se entiende, ¿verdad? Es fácil: necesitas de la soledad del estudio para escribir algo que se proyectará socialmente y que pretendes compartir con mucha gente, mientras más, mejor. El egoísmo tiene que ver con el tiempo, con la privacidad necesaria para concentrarte y dedicarte a la escritura, pero no con el pensamiento y los propósitos comunicativos de lo que escribes. Esa comunicación es mucho más importante para mí precisamente por ese espíritu de periodista que no me abandona.
”En mi caso, que además hago una literatura con evidente interés social, hay poco espacio para el egoísmo: pienso siempre en el contexto que me rodea, en comunicarme con él, en establecer relaciones con el lector potencial”.
¿Qué itinerario propondría a quien desee conocer el mundo?
“Eso es complicado. Hay quienes pueden viajar y conocer el mundo; hay quienes ni siquiera saben o les gusta leer y no pueden conocerlo por esa vía. Creo que moverse, leer, consumir arte es una forma de conocer el mundo. En el caso específico de la literatura, de la novela, siempre es una forma de conocimiento: de la condición humana, de los comportamientos de las sociedades presentes y pasadas, a veces hasta futuras. Si la literatura no revela algo nuevo, o al menos –visto desde otra perspectiva– no cumple sus mejores funciones… Una de ellas es conocer a los demás, cercanos o lejanos, penetrar en el alma de las cosas… y conocerlas”.
¿Y qué autores sugeriría si el propósito es entender al hombre?
“La lista puede ser infinita, de hecho lo es, y no me atrevo a hacerla. Creo que desde Homero y los cronistas bíblicos tenemos suficiente material escrito para entender al hombre y saber de sus incertidumbres y realizaciones, sus miedos y esperanzas”.
Los cubanos solemos decir que somos los más graciosos, los más eróticos, los más… ¿Cuál es el más y cuál el menos con que definiría Leonardo Padura a sus compatriotas?
“Yo me definiría como un pelotero frustrado que encontró en la literatura una forma de vivir, y la exploto al máximo: con mi esfuerzo y con mi trabajo, con mi persistencia y con mi disciplina, centrado en lo que creo que es importante. Siempre digo que no soy el escritor de más talento en mi generación, pero soy el más trabajador.
”Respecto a mis compatriotas, los definiría como gregarios, alardosos, orgullosos, solidarios. Esas son algunas de sus virtudes, que se pueden convertir en sus grandes defectos. También diría que practican de manera refinada el arte de la envidia y pocas cosas les cuesta más trabajo que asimilar el éxito de un compatriota, sobre todo si el éxito se debe al trabajo y no al oportunismo y la bichería. Somos un pueblo muy especial, pero no tanto como para creernos los mejores… algo que con frecuencia nos ocurre”.
¿Valió la pena llegar al siglo XXI?
“El futuro siempre vale la pena, porque se supone que debe ser mejor que el pasado, aunque a veces uno tenga sus dudas… más que justificadas. De todas formas, es el tiempo que nos tocó vivir y debemos aprovechar lo bueno que nos ofrece y lamentar lo bueno que hemos perdido. Muchas veces esos sentimientos de pérdida responden a nostalgias generacionales, a nuestras particulares visiones de un pasado que a veces nos proponemos considerar perfecto, aunque para otros no tenga sentido o haya sido un tiempo lamentable. Ahora, lo que tenemos, es el siglo XXI, y… a vivirlo, que al fin y al cabo lo que nos ha sido dado en la Tierra son dos días”. Ω
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