Jesús A. Ponce on Secretos a Voces: literature, caregiving, and memory

SAV Jesus ponce yt

In this episode of the Secretos a Voces podcast (in Spanish), Chilean writer Jesús A. Ponce talks with Lea del Pozo about his latest book, Vivero. Instalaciones sobre el ritmo, lo senil y lo vegetal (Nursery: Installations on Rhythm, Senility, and the Vegetal), and the literary classic he chose for the conversation: Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich. Throughout the conversation, they explore themes such as the role of caregiving in literature, memory, and personal transformation.

Vivero and its parallels with The Death of Ivan Ilyich

In Vivero, J. A. Ponce immerses us in the story of a son who becomes the caregiver of his father, who has Alzheimer’s. Through this relationship, the author reflects on memory, transformation, and the role of caregiving within the family.

Tolstoy’s work, published in 1886, deals with the agony of Ivan Ilyich, a man who faces his own mortality with only his servant for company and support. In both books, the caregivers are men, which leads to an interesting reflection on how gender roles in caregiving are constructed—something Del Pozo and Ponce discussed at length.

Jesús A. Ponce on Secretos a voces

The interview addresses fundamental questions in contemporary and classic literature:

  • The influence of the feminine in caregiving and how it has been portrayed in literature.
  • Family relationships as literary material, exploring the complexity of emotional bonds.
  • Psychiatric medication and its impact on empathy among those who take it.
  • The blending of genres in today’s literature, blurring the line between fiction and essay.
  • The role of the omniscient narrator in 21st-century vs. 19th-century literature, and how it has evolved over time.

About Jesús A. Ponce

Jesús A. Ponce Catalán (Chile, 1994) is a Chilean writer with an outstanding career in contemporary literature. He researches literature, design, and criticism at The New Centre for Research & Practice. In 2022, he received the Best Literary Work Award in Chile. He currently lives in Madrid, where he continues to develop his work.

About Tolstoy’s classic

Published in 1886, The Death of Ivan Ilyich is one of Leo Tolstoy’s great works. The novella follows Ivan Ilyich, a civil servant who, after being diagnosed with a terminal illness, faces a profound existential crisis. While his family and friends avoid him and carry on with their lives, only his servant Gerasim offers him sincere and compassionate care. Through his agony, Tolstoy reflects on the superficiality of bourgeois life and the inevitability of death.

Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910) was a Russian novelist, philosopher, and reformer, recognized as one of the greatest writers in world literature. He was born into an aristocratic family, but his life changed after his experiences of war, such as his service in the Crimean War. His most famous work, War and Peace, spans Russian history during the Napoleonic Wars, while Anna Karenina examines the complexities of love and society. In his later years, he turned away from aristocratic life and embraced an austere lifestyle, influenced by his Christian beliefs. His literary and philosophical legacy remains a significant influence on world literature.

Listen to or watch the full episode

If you’d like to dive into the conversation between J. A. Ponce and Lea Del Pozo, listen to the full episode of the Secretos a Voces podcast on your favorite platform. You can also watch the interview videos in the playlist on tekman’s YouTube channel (in Spanish).

Listen to the episode on Spotify.

Watch the episode on YouTube

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If you love literature and enjoy discovering writers’ motivations and thoughts, Secretos a Voces is for you. A new podcast episode every two weeks! And you’ll find more literature on the Secretos a voces Instagram account.

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