Carlos Aleman is an author and artist. He has written a trilogy of novels, Nuno, Happy That It's Not True, and Diego In Two Places. He lives in Sunrise, Florida.
Q: Did you know you
would write a trilogy when you started on the first book, or did the idea
develop gradually?
A: The idea developed over years. I didn’t want to let go of the characters and wanted to examine them a little more. The first book, Nuno, started out as historical fiction, but I eventually realized that it could serve as a foundation for a family saga. The final book, Diego In Two Places, seemed to flow naturally out of the desire to answer all the mysteries found in Happy That It’s Not True. Add the elements of parallel realities and magical realism and there are infinite possibilities for interconnecting narratives.
A: The idea developed over years. I didn’t want to let go of the characters and wanted to examine them a little more. The first book, Nuno, started out as historical fiction, but I eventually realized that it could serve as a foundation for a family saga. The final book, Diego In Two Places, seemed to flow naturally out of the desire to answer all the mysteries found in Happy That It’s Not True. Add the elements of parallel realities and magical realism and there are infinite possibilities for interconnecting narratives.
Q: What kind of
research did you need to do for your books?
A: With Nuno, I had
to learn about a Cuba of the past that no longer exists. I read books and
relied on the recollection of relatives. In Diego In Two Places, I also had to
rely on others to help me understand today’s Cuba. The blog by Cuban activist
Yoani Sanchez was quite helpful, as well as my e-mail correspondences with
people from Havana that happen to be traveling to other parts of the world.
Q: As someone who
writes and also works in the visual arts, how do the two disciplines fit
together for you?
A: I like to think of
it as a wax on wax off effect. I’ve been drawing and painting my entire life,
obsessed with aesthetics. When I started writing in 2008, it seemed natural to channel
creativity into words. It’s like learning one instrument and then having a
better understanding of what you want to accomplish with a second instrument.
Q: Which authors have
particularly inspired you?
A: I’m often inspired
by writers that are the children of immigrants, such as Amy Tan and Khaled Hosseini. We all need someone that we identify with to help us visualize ourselves
accomplishing goals. I’m proud of Junot Diaz and the late Oscar Hijuelos for
their accomplishments. It’s nice to have the shoulders of giants to stand on.
Q: What are you
working on now?
A: I’m currently
working on a coming-of-age story set in 1980, which will deal with a
15-year-old boy falling in love with an older girl. While the novel will touch
on spirituality, love and eroticism, it will also deal with the dark past of
the protagonist's father.
Q: Anything else we
should know?
A: I just found out
that I am going to be a grandfather again. My first grandchild was born in
2012. For more information about my art and writing, please visit my website.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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