on the trail of exile - inici - institut ramon llull – llengua i cultura … ·  · 2012-10-08ii...

I had been at my brother’s place for two years when we received a phone call from Mestres, the owner of the workshop a floor beneath the apartment rented by our mother. Some immigrants had broken into the apartment and made themselves at home. Mestres had called the police. For months my brother had been emptying out our mother’s apartment. However, I had been unable to go to gather my things from there. In the final years of her life, our mother had put time and money into maintaining an apartment that did not warrant its upkeep. Now the doors were broken in and the walls were covered in mould. There was no electricity. The immigrants had installed a stove in the middle of the dining room. In the middle bedroom, where my things had been pushed, I found a wooden chest with toys in it from when I was kid, a bag of books, and some folders. In one of these folders was a series of interviews I had done with various Catalan writers, which I had published in the daily newspaper Avui between December 1984 and April 1986, just after I had completed university. Four of these writers were exiles: Pere Calders, Avel·lí Artís, Xavier Benguerel and Josep Ferrater Mora.

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On the trail of exile

Julià Guillamon

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TheoldestoftheseinterviewsiswithAvel·líArtís-Gener,orTísner,whoappearsonthecoverofAvuiathomeinahousecoat,smokingapipe.Inthisinterview,TísnersaysthingsIhadforgottenhehadsaidatthetime.Heexplainsthatin1961,whenhehadstartedwritingthenovelLes dues funcions del circ(TheTwoFunctionsoftheCircus),hehadreturnedtoMartinique,wherehehadbeenbroughtaftertheSpanishCivilWarwhentheshipbringinghimtoMexicoandtoexilehadbrokendowninthemiddleoftheAtlantic.ThenovelrecreatesthesojournoftwobrothersatFort-de-Francewhiletheyawaitrepairsontheirboat,justasAvel·líArtíshadawaitedrepairsonhisboatinthesummerof1939.TísnerandIspokeaboutthetripshehadmadetoMartiniqueinsearchoflocationsforhisnovel,aboutthehourshehadspentobservingtheislanders,listeningtotheirmannerofspeaking,copyingadvertisementshefoundonthestreets.Descriptionsofthebeachandtheairportinthenovelcomefrompreciseobservations.WealsospokeaboutMexico,aboutthewriterRoure-Torrentandthemother-in-lawofTísner’sbrotherArcadi,themotherofpainterFrancescEspriu,whosevoicesTísnerhadusedforthenarratorofParaules d’Opòton el Vell(WordsoftheElderOpoton).Opoton,thenarrator,isaMexicanwarriorwholinksideasfromacommonpointofreference.Opoton’snarrationtraceshismentalflights,reconstructingaliterarypre-Columbianchronicleofevents,untilOpotonloseshistrainofthinkingandthenovelends.IinterviewedXavierBenguerelathishomeonFrancescCarbonellStreetinPedralbes.Intheinterview’spublishedphotosofhim,Benguerelappearsinadarkdressshirt,ontheterraceofhisapartmentinfrontofantiquebas-reliefsoffigureswithpatternsaroundthem.WespeakaboutIcària, Icària andhistranslationsofLa Fontaine.Towardstheendofourtime,IaskBenguerelaboutChileandhetalksaboutthemomenthereturnedfromexileandabouttheadventuresoftheClubdelsNovel·listes,butnotChile.InneitheroftheseinterviewswithTísnerandBenguereldowespeakaboutexile.

MyinterviewswithTísnerandBenguerelwerein-depthinterviews,withbackgroundandhistory,withconnectionstobooksandexperiences,butexilewasalwaysleftoutofthediscussion.IpublishedarticlesandIcontributedprefacestobooks.TísnerandMariaLluïsaMercadetwelcomedmeoftentotheirhome.IreturnedmanytimestotheapartmentonFrancescCarbonellStreet,alone,orwithmyfriendJoanTarrida.Benguerelusedtoinviteusforlunchatasmallrestaurantfrequentedexclusivelybyneighbours.Atthistime,IhadjustdiscoveredthenovelsofFrancescTrabalandIspoketoBenguerelaboutthemwithgreatenthusiasm.ButhewassurprisedbymyinterestandIdidnotunderstandwhy.Ilearnedwhylater.Benguerel’sreluctancetoreciprocatemyenthusiasmwasconnectedtoTrabal’sgenerosity,theprofounddisagreementstheCatalanexilesinChilehadhad,thetoughdecisionstheyhadfacedatthehouroftheirreturn,andthenthefinaldramaofthelifeofTrabal,deadat58yearsofageaftergreatdisillusionmentwiththeworld—whichhadallbeenepitomizedbythecontinuationofFrancoattheendoftheSecondWorldWar.

Avel·líArtís-GenerandXavierBenguereldidnottalkaboutexilebecauseexilewasnotapositiveexperienceforthem.Forthesewriters,exilemeantstigmatisationanditwasasourceofshame.Thiscanbeseenclearlyintheirmemoirs.Benguerel’serraticMemòria d’un exili. Xile 1940-1952(MemoirsofanExile:Chile1940-1952)side-stepsthefundamentalaspectsofhislifeinSantiago.Instead,thememoirreproducessectionsofarticlesfromthejournalGermanor,inwhichBenguereldiscussesaratherinconsequentialtripwithhisfamilytoCorcovado,PuertoAysén,andtheSanRafaelLagooninthesouthofChile.Alargepartofthememoirisdedicatedtoshowingthecraftinessheemployed

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tomakeitpossibletoopenandrunapharmaceuticallaboratoryinChile.Tísner’sViure i veure(ToLiveandSee)alsohasabitofthepicaresqueaboutit,withitsdescriptionsofTísner’sadventuresincinemaandtelevision.Tísner’scarsarelikethedogsandcatsofBenguerel:theyareobjectsofemotionaltransfer,whichspeakofafamiliarworld,placidlyaccommodatedandstable,aplacethatperhapsneverexisted.WhenTísnerreconstructshisreturntoCatalonia,thereisneitherpainnorconflict.

TalkingtothewriterQuimMonzó,thejournalistRamonBarnilsdescribesthesadnesshefeltatseeingTísner,apillarofthemagazinesLa Rambla,L’Esquella de la Torratxa (TheTorratxaCowbell)andEl Be Negre (TheBlackLamb),reducedtoworkingintheeditorialofficesoftele|eXpress, inanobscureandasubordinaterole.InChile,Benguerelhadmademoney,buthewaslikeoneofthecharactersofhisownshortstories—rootless,erased,dividedbetweentwoirreconcilablerealities,likehiseruditeerotomaniacwhokeepshispassionsasecretanddoesnotunderstandhisson.TísnerreturnedtoCataloniawithoutapenny.HelivedpoorlyinaboardinghouseinBarcelonaandwoundupacceptingworkatthenewspaperofoldfriends,whohadcompliedwithFranco.Benguerelkeptalowprofile,maintainingpersonalcommitmentstoonlyRafaelBorràsandtheLarafamily.Idonotknowifhehadanyfriends.Tísnereventuallyprevailedoverhisdemeaningcircumstancesandbecameapublicfigure,acandidateforelectionstotheNacionalistesd’Esquerra,whoappearedonTV3inhisfinalyearsoflife.TísnerandBenguerelwereverydifferent,butinmymemoriesofthem,bothfiguresareblurredintoone.

What should I have asked Tísner and Benguerel about exile?WhatdidIknow,really?WhatshouldIhavesaidtomakethemopenupandremember,withoutreservationsorembellishments,anintimatepartoftheirlivesinToulouseandRoissy,inMexicoandinChile?InmytimeasastudentattheUniversityofBarcelona,studentsofCatalanliteraturetookcoursesinthehistoryoftheCatalanlanguage,itsphonetics,morphology,syntaxanddialectology,becauseCatalanhadtobethefoundationofCatalonia’srenewal.Westudiedverylittleaboutliteratureitself,andhardlyanyonespokeabouttheliteratureofthe1930s.Thebooksthatshouldhavehelpedusdiscovertheintellectualclimateofthe1930sdidnotexist.WegotusedtoseeingtheSpanishCivilWarthroughthedeformedmirrorofanti-Francoism.IhadsomecopiesofVisions de la guerra i la rereguarda(VisionsoftheWarandtheRearguard),withitsdesignbySalvadorSauraandRamonTorrente,whoplayedwiththecoloursoftherepublicanflag.Theonlypre-warnewspapersIeversawwerethosereproducedinthatanthology.Thepost-FrancotransitiondiscreditedpoliticssothataprofoundsilencehungoveranyoneandanythingassociatedwiththeBarcelonaoftheRepublic.ItwasnotuntilmuchlaterthatIbeganmakingimportantconnectionsaboutthings.JoanM.MinguetiBatllorisalvagedthebooksandarticlesofSebastiàGasch,whileValentíSolerpublishedJustCabot’sIndagacions i proposicions (Enquiriesandproposals).Fromreadingthearticlesofthesewritersandthroughtheirexchangeofopinions,forexample,onDalí,“aworldthatwastrue”begantoemergeforme.Irememberadetailthatimpressedme.Tospeakaboutsomebrownshoes,Gaschsaid“somespectatorshoes”.These“spectatorshoes”symbolizedthedreamworldthatGaschcarriedwithhim.

IspokeaboutmyfeelingstoJosepPalauiFabre.In1946,PalauiFabrehadvoluntarilyexiledhimselfinParis.HewastiredoftheatmosphereinBarcelonaandofhisrelationshipwithhisparents,whohadbecomesupportersofFranco.ImethimshortlyafterhehadreturnedtoBrucStreetinBarcelona.Incabinetsanddrawersofhishome

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onBrucStreet,PalauiFabrefoundautographs,bookswithdedicationsandmagazinesonmoderndesignthathisfatherhadowned.Inthefoyerofhishome,amongpaintingsbyGausachsandBosch-Roger,therewasacabinetwithtrinketsandobjectsofartlikethosethatwereadvertisedinD’Ací i d’Allà (FromHereandThere).Bitbybit,PalauiFabresoldeverythinghefoundtopayfortheEktachrometransparenciesofthebookshewroteaboutPicasso.Inadrawerofthechildhoodbedroomofhisupper-classfamily,PalauiFabrehadsaveddozensofclippingsfromthemagazineMirador.EveryThursday,aday-boarderclassmateofhiswouldbringthemagazinetotheschool’sboardinghouse,wherePalauiFabrestayed.Homesickinthefirstyearsofthepost-war,PalauiFabrecutoutandarrangedclippingsofthemagazineandassembledthemintoakindofencyclopaedia,whichhereadoverandoveragain.Inmyinterviewswithhim,hecouldconfirmthathestillknewmanyoftheseclippingsbyheart.

PalauiFabrepreservedaclearimageoftheworldbeforetheSpanishCivilWar,aworldview16or17yearsold,whichhekeptdeepinsideofhim.PalauiFabrecouldspeakaseasilyaboutthefirsttalkingpicture,The Love Parade,asthejokesofOttoandFritz,whichhadbeeninfashion60yearsbefore.Despitehisiconoclasticstature,PalauiFabrewaswitnesstothecivilizedcustomsofanillustriousbourgeoisiewhowenttotheTeatreGrectoseeMargaridaXirgu’sMedeaortotheLiceutoseetheRussianBallets,intophatsortrilbysandblack-and-whitespectatorshoes.TounderstandtheworldofPalauiFabrebetter,IsetupattheLibraryofCataloniatoreadoldcopiesofMirador,andIwoundupspendingmorethanayearthere.

ItwasattheLibraryofCataloniathat,inagreattorrent,allthequestionsIwasnotabletoaskTísnerandBenguerelwhentheywerealiveandweremyfriendsbegantoemerge.WhenIwasatAvui,IusedtocomeacrossthejournalistJosepMariaLladó,withabigcigarinhismouth,completingthewritingofarticlesatthebarLaLlave,asifLaLlavewerethebaroftheAteneu.InthosedaysIthoughtofLladóasasolitaryandanachronisticoldman.ButnowIthinkofhimattheeditor’sdeskofÚltima Hora,andinNicein1945,publishingPer Catalunya (ForCatalonia)withitscoversbyFontseré,ClavéandMartíBas.ItwaswhileattheLibraryofCataloniareadingMirador —andLa Publicitat,La Rambla,L’InstantandÚltima Hora aswell—thatIbegantounderstandthesheerscaleofthedefeatin1939andtheconsequencesthishadonmylifedirectly.

ThegenerationofJoanOliver,FrancescTrabal,VicençRieraLlorca,ArmandObiols,AnnaMurià,XavierBenguerel,MercèRodoreda,AgustíBartra,LluísFerrandePol,Avel·líArtís-Gener,andPereCalderswasthefirsttoaccessamodernculturewhichcrownedacontinuouslinereachingbacktotheCatalanRenaissance,aculturewithanormalisedCatalanlanguagethatmadeitpossibletowriteinanygenre,withafirst-orderjournalism,withcolumnistswhowereopentoallmannerandhueofirony,withstoriesthatofferedreadersofCatalanaCatalanvisionoftheworld.Thewritersofthisgenerationpublishedpopularcollections,theytranslatedtheclassics,theycommentedonthelatestnewsinthe

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EuropeanandNorthAmericannovel.Poetryexperiencedagoldenperiod,withareturntothe1800sandanadherencetotheweightydemandsofsymbolistandpurepoetry.Theoldmasters,JoaquimRuyraandJosepCarner,werestillactiveandanewgenerationofCatalanwritersintheirtwentieswhospokeaboutthetroublesofyouthhadsprungup.Andthensuddenly,thisworlddisappeared.

First, the Civil War forced this generation of writerstochanneltheirenergiesintotheserviceofpolitics.Then,afterdefeattoFranco,thegeneration’sbestwerepushedacrosstheborderintopoorhousesandshelters,wheretheywerelockedoutofCataloniaandkeptatbayinfarawaycountries,livinginprecariouscircumstances,withpainfulmemoriesandapoordigestionoftheirinjuries.Someofthesewritersstayedinthesefarawaycountriesforever.Others,likeTísner,wereawayfor25years.WhentheyreturnedtoCatalonia,theyfoundaplacethatwasnothinglikewhattheyhadimaginedinChileorMexico.InEl Poble Català (TheCatalanPeople),TísnerimagineddozensofCatalanexilesinsombrerosandtouristboatsreturningtoBarcelona,whileinanapocryphaleditionofLa Rambla publishedinMay1945whenTísnerwasonlyatthestartofhisexile,hepublishednormsforapplyingforsubsidiesfromtheSpanishRefugeeEvacuationService(SERE)andtheSpanishRepublicanAssistanceCouncil(JARE),twoorganisationsthathelpedtorepatriateexiles,intheexpectationofbeingbackhomesoon.NobodyendedupinprisoninSpainafterreturningfromexile,buteachexilelivedaclimateofconstantintimidationandthreat.WhenCataloniabegantoreviveandwhenallofthereturnedexilesshouldhavebeendedicatingthemselvesfulltilttothereconstructioneffort,theywerenotalwayswellreceived.Theirideas,itturnedout,didnotalwayscorrespondtoreality.

In1966,AmadeuCuitotriedtorevivehisgrandfather’smagazine.ThisishowthePerpignaneditionofMirador,“themagazinethatwillbereadinCatalonia”,wasborn,whichEugeniXammardreamedofasthealternativetoCarlesSentísandIgnasiAgustí’sTele-estel.In1966,itwasimportanttolookforward,withoutthinkingbacktowhathadbeenlost.Nevertheless,likethereturnofwhathadbeenrepressed,thissenseoflosstrickleddownandmadeitswayintothetitlesoftheexiles’books:Abans de l’alba(BeforetheDawn),Homes i coses de la Barcelona d’abans(MenandThingsofOldBarcelona),Abans d’ara(BeforeNow).Before.

Avuiwasfirstpublishedin1976.Iwasaloyalreaderofthenewspaper.Inthosedays,Ispentthesummersatmymother’sboardinghouse,andIwasbored.Intheafternoons,Iwouldlockmyselfinabedroomoftheboardinghouse’sfirstfloorandcutoutarticlesabouttheFreedomMarch,whichhadjustpassedthroughthetownofArbúcies.Avuioftenpublishedinformationontheexileexperience.Thenewspaperwantedtotransmitavisionofcontinuitythroughnewsofreturnedexilesaswellasdeathsofexilesabroad,deathswhichoccurredinsteadydrips,fromtheremotestdaysmagazinesonexilewerefirstdistributedinHavanaandSantiago,inMexicoandParis.TherewasnewsofthedeathofAlexandrePlana,ofPereCorominas,ofAlfonsMaseras,ofJoaquimXirau.ThosedeathsstandoutagainstagloriousimageofPereQuart,atthePriceFestivalofPoetsin1970,recitingversesofCorrandes de l’exili(FolksongsofExile),whichin1940hadcausedMercèRodoredatoexplodeintolaughterandnearlyburstattheseams.ThosedeathsstandoutagainsttheimageofOliver,joininginwiththepeople,challengingthemincrying:“Liberty!Liberty!”Asajournalist,IattendedOliver’sextremelysadburial.Evenbeforedying,in1986,Oliverwasastarwhoselighthaddimmed.Hewasaforgottenandcrankywriterwhopublishedacidic,disillusionedarticlesinamarginalmagazinecalled

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El Llamp(TheLightning).Sincethosedays,Oliver’slighthasnotstoppeddimminguntilalmosttotaldarkness.ImagesofthegloriousreturnofAgustíBartratoElPratAirporthavedisappearedwhileamuchbleakerimageofcustomsandthepoliceinleatherthree-corneredhatshasremained.

AfterJaumeSubirana’sbookonJosepCarnerinBelgium,Carner’sreturnin1970andCarner’suninspiringday-to-daylifeinBarcelona,Carner’sreturntakesonanevenmoreopaqueandcontortedsignificance.Carner’sreturnissituatedagainstabackdropofrehabilitatedandtriumphalpoetsandintellectuals,ofahappyreparationofexile’slegendarybraindrainandofthelostmenwhoselivesweretornasunder.ThereisArmandObiols,disillusionedbypolitics,distancedfromhisexiledcompatriots,writingtohisfriendRafaelTasisfromBordeaux,oraccompaniedbyunknownwomeninViennaandGeneva,withsadnessclingingtohisfacelikeamask.ThereisFrancescTrabal,busyworkingonautopianprojecttobuildschoolsintheAmericassoasnottolosetheCatalansthere,thesameFrancescTrabalwho,thoughanxioustoreturninJanuary1945,wasthefirsttobelost.Trabal’sarticlesinGermanor(Brotherhood)givegoosebumps:thewriterhadlosthiswayandhadresignedhimselftoalifeofsilentmourningandshrivellingaway.Wearefarfromthedaysofexpectingthehonourandcompensationthatsomethoughtexilesdeservedinthemid-1970s,whenontheeveofthefirstelections,politiciansaimedtoprofitfromthefidelityandprestigeoftheexiles.Wewerenotalwaystoldbytheexilestheencouragingandflatteringwordswewantedtohearregardingtherealityoftheexile,arealitywhichisdifficulttonaildown.Wereitpossibletogettogetheragainwithmyoldfriends,themeetingwouldbemarkedbyasenseoflossandanexperienceofgrief.

Atthesametime,suchameetingwouldalsobemarkedbyajoyatseeingmyfriendsagainanddiscoveringthattheirbookswerestillalive

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andcouldserveasexamplesandstimuliformanyreaders.Catalanliteraturematuredinexile.Catalanpoetssoughtoutpossibilitiesforredemptioninthemidstofadversity.Theydeclaredthebirthofanewman.Inexile,theCatalannoveleventuallyovercametheinterwarcrisisandbecameaninstrumentforrethinkingthepositionofmeninthecontemporaryworld.Theletters,diaries,andmemoirsoftheexilesareanextraordinarytestimonytohumanity,fullofheart-rendingexperiencesbutalsotheanticsofeverydaylife.Althoughthismaterialismainlyarecordofpersonalvisions,itcanbereadasagrandsagawithcollectivemeaning,beginningwiththeflightfromBarcelona,continuingwiththebuildingoftemporarysettlementsinFranceandtheexperienceofconcentrationcampsinFranceandGermany,andendingwiththecreationofintellectualrefugesandsafehavens.Inthisgrandsaga,thenightmaresofToulouseareincluded,intheirrarefiedclimateoffrictionsanddiscrepancies.SotooisthelifeofthestudentatMontpellier,youth,andthediscoveryoflove.TherearetheopportunitiesforsymbolicrebirthintheforestsofBiervilleandRoissy-en-Brie.Andstartingin1940,thereisthegreatadventureintheAmericas,whichleftinparenthesistheidealsofreconstructionofmorethanacentury.Theexilescouldnotpublish,hadlosttheiraudienceandhadwitnessedtheabolitionoftheirlanguage.

AlineconnectsAntoniRoviraiVirgili’sEls darrers dies de la Catalunya republicana(TheLastYearsofRepublicanCatalonia)toXavierBenguerel’sEls Vençuts(TheDefeated),toMercèRodoreda’sshortstories“Copdelluna”(MoonShadow),“Orleans,3quilòmetres”(Orleans,3Kilometres),and“Paràlisi”(Paralysis),toVicençRieraLlorca’sTots tres surten per l’Ozama(AllThreeComefromOzama),toPereCalders’sL’ombra de l’atzavara(TheShadowoftheAgave).

Harar (Ethiopia), Toni Catany (2007)

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Rifearethesenseoflossandthepromiseofanotherworldtocome,aworldthatwillbeswindledtragically.Thereistheconstantquestionofsurvivalinclandestineconditions,conflictwithanincomprehensiblereality,whichforcedtheexilestoreconsidertheiridentities,andfearofbeingabductedbytheOther.Moreconcretely,thereisthelossofthethingstheexilesbelievedtobecertainbeforethewar,replacedinturnbyuncertaintyandpain.Thereisanxiety,andtheexperienceofbeinguprooted.MercèRodoredaforgesthepathoftheseCatalanwritingsinexilewhen,inMarch1940,shewritestoCarlesPiiSunyerfromRoissyexplainingthattheworldwillneverbefixed,thatthehomelandwillneverbesaved,butthatiffromherstoreofhumanknowledge,iffrombitternessandcruelty,theworkshedesiredtowriteeverarose,shewouldhavenothingmoretodemandoflife.

One of the more extraordinary of the exiled Catalan writers,andatthesametimeoneofthemoreparadigmatic,isJoaquimAmat-Piniella.In1933,whenhewasstillyoung,hehadpublishedabookofhyperrealistportraitsoffriendsfromthecityofManresacalledOmbres al calidoscopi(ShadowsintheKaleidoscope).AttheLibraryofCatalonia,onecopyofthisbook,withadedicationtoJ.V.Foix,ispreserved.TheunravellingofthewarbroughtAmat-PiniellatotheSaint-Cyprienconcentrationcamp,andlater,whenthe109CompagniedeTravailleursEspagnolswasinterceptedbytheGermansatDelle,hewastakentoMauthausen,fromwhichhewasreleasedattheendofthewarand,likesomesortofchrysalis,transformedintothegreatnovelistofK. L. Reich.

Imagesofexilehavebeenconveyedtousthroughphotographswhich,thankstorepetition,havebecomecommonvisualplaces:thelinesofpeoplemarchingtotheFrenchborder,imagesofconcentrationcamps,thebeach,lorriesloadedwithbread,spahis.Weshouldstartatanotherendofthishistoricalrecreation.Weshouldreadthetextsoftheexiles,payingspecialattentiontodetails.Weneedtoseekouttherevelatorydetailsandthecontrastingpointsthatilluminatethem,inordertoaccessaspacethathasbeenprotected.Weneedtounderstandtheconnectionsbetweenwhatispresentandwhatisabsent,betweenhistoryandfiction,alwayslookingforkeysthatwillopenthecaptiveworldofexileimagery.Travelhaspermittedanalternativereadingofexileliterature,areadingfromanewandfreshperspective.InwayssimilartothewayAvel·líArtíswenttoMartiniquetoreconstructthememoryofhistexts,IhavegonetoPratsdeMolló,Argeles-sur-Mer,Roissy-en-Brie,MexicoandSantiago,Chile,accompanyingthefilmdirectorJoaquimJordàandhisfilmcrew.Asastartingpointforthishistoricalreconstruction,Ibroughtalonethememoirs,shortstoriesandnovelsoftheexiles,withthegoaloffindingthatworldthathadbeenlockedupinitsownmemory,aworldthathasdisappearedbutthatthroughresearchhascometogetheragainandsolidifiedinmarvellousways.

OneofthemostimpressivearticlesTrabalpublishedinGermanorwas“LesClaus,variacionssobreuntemainútil”(Keys:VariationsonaUselessTheme).ThearticledescribesanafternoonatthePlazaBrasilinSantiago,Chile.Aloneinthelateafternoon,TrabaldreamsofbeinginBarcelonaagainandhearingthestreetcarpushuphilltowardstheGràcianeighbourhood,hedreamsabouttheSouthernCrossconstellationnolongerbeingtheSouthernCross,untilhiswife’svoiceinterruptshim,caressingly:“Listen…thesekeys?”InSantiago,Trabal’sniece,AnnaMariaPrat,hadkeptaclippingofanarticleherunclehadwrittenforGermanor,inwhichhetalksaboutuselessobjectsandfalsememories:aboxofcigars,adentedtrophy.Healsotalksaboutabunchofkeys:thefamily’sBarcelonakeys,thekeystotheircottageatCastelldefels,thekeystotheInstitutionofCatalanLetters.

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ThosesamekeysFrancescTrabalstillcarriedwithhim,inhispocket,inApril1941.AsimilarstorywouldreoccurinCèsar-AugustJordana’sEl món de Joan Ferrer(TheWorldofJoanFerrer).Inoneofthisbook’sfirstchapters,Jordanaspeaksaboutanalarmclockthathecarriedwithhimwhenhewasastudent,doinghismilitaryservice,andwhenhewasanexile,whichnowhadaloosehand.Howcouldhethrowitaway?ThisalarmclockhadbeenwithhimonVecinalStreet,intheLasCondesneighbourhood,inthehouseofhissonJoan.Inarecentarticle,MònicaZgustovaevokesapoignantimageoftheCroatianwriterDubravkaUgrešicinthenovelThe Museum of Unconditional Surrender.AttheBerlinzoo,closetoarefugeeshelter,Ugrešicdescribesamysteriouscollageofitems:achild’sshoe,apipe,acarkey,fourotherrandomkeys—unconnectedobjectsdiscoveredinthestomachofadeadwalrus.ForUgrešic,theseobjectssymbolizedtheexperienceofexile.

InChile,JoaquimJordà,hisfilmcrew,andItravelledasfarasthevillageofLosAndes.WevisitedMapochotrainstationinSantiago,onthetracksoftheoldrouteoftheCatalanAndeangroupofexiles.IthadbeenalongtimesincevillagesinthispartofChilehadaraillineconnectingthem.InMexico,wewenttotheBuenavistaStation,wherethetrainfromVeracruzoncearrived.Nowthatstationisagiantemptyspaceonthepointofdemolition.WevisitedtheCasadelAgrarista,whichwelcomedhundredsofSpanishrefugees.WewalkedthroughtheHipódromoneighbourhood,whereapartmentsandservantquartersarestillvisibleastheyappearedinVicençRieraLlorca’snovelsAmb permís de l’enterramorts(WiththeGravedigger’sPermission)andJoc de xocs(GameofConflict).WewenttotheFrenchCemeterytofindthetombofdramatistandpublisherAvel·líArtísiBalaguer,thefatherofTísner.Inthecemetery’sgreatavenue,manyofthemausoleums,withtheirdoorshalf-open,arelikeapartments,anditisnothardtopicturethewriterPereCaldersimaginingwithalaughtheinhabitantsofshantytownsmakinghomesforthemselvesthere.InthecoursethatbroughtustotheFrenchCemetery,weunravelledthepieceofworldthatCaldershadportrayedin“LaVergedelesvies”(TheVirginoftheRailway):thedisusedrailcrossingoftherailwayleadingtoCuernavaca,theswitchman’sattendantboothand,ontheothersideoftheroad,thechapelandaMcDonald’sadvertisement.WetravelledtoChalmaSanctuary,retracingthepilgrimageofProfessorEnguianoandhispupilsinLluísFerrandePol’sÉrem quatre(WeWereFour):thearrivalinthesanctuarysurroundedbyrock-strewnmountains,thedescentthroughalleywaysfullofstreetstallswherethemultitudeshadgathered,thewreathsofflowersthathadsymbolizedsacrifice,theritualbath,thesuddensicknessinthecaronthereturntrip,andtheperiodofrecoveryamidstvisionsanddeliriums.

Itisnotaquestionofrevealingspacesthathavebeenpreservedbutofshowingtheintangible,forinstance,lookingagainatDomènecGuansé’sdistortedimageinLaberint(Labyrinth)ofBarcelona,cityofthebourgeoisnovel,ofwhitetelephones,acitydistortedbyinsuperabledistance.ItisaquestionoflookingagainatXavierBenguerel’sphantasmagoricalPoblenouintheshortstory“TheDisappeared,”withthemanwholeavesinsearchofhisrunawaybrother.Itisaboutthevicissitudesoftheprotagonistof

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Benguerel’s“TheBinocularMan,”whointhestandingroomofthetheatreinventsalifeforawomanheseesintheorchestraseating.TheMunicipalTheatreofSantiago,ChileinmanywaysresemblestheLiceuofBarcelona.Throughthisverydeliberateambiguity,Benguereltransformshimselfintothecharacteroftheonlooker,whocontemplateslivingarealityhecannotlivefromafar.

The opposite of these desolate fantasies is the idealised CataloniaofJosepCarnerin“RetornaCatalunya”(ReturntoCatalonia):thefierysierra,thegoldenfields,theworldorderedharmoniouslyintheenvironsofthefarmhouse.ThisworldisthebeachesoftheCapdeCreus,whichinthepoetryofRamonXiraubecomesaplaceofrediscoveryandmemorythankstoalanguageXiraurecuperatedfromchildhood.ThisidealisedworldisthedreamstoryofEl món de Joan Ferrer(TheWorldofJoanFerrer)byC.A.Jordana,acounterbalancetothedisenchantment,solitude,andsicknessoftheotherexiles(anappropriatemetaphorforthiswritingwouldbethedrainingofbile).ThisworldisthepassageofcharactersinFrancescTrabal’sTemperatura(Temperature)towardsafabulousworld,throughlakesandvolcanoesplacedscenographicallytoreflectanimpossiblerebirth.DisturbinglyalienisMercèRodoreda’sstoryLa plaça del Diamant(TheTimeoftheDoves),whichsituatesitselfinacitydisfiguredbythebluelightofanti-aircraft,orRodereda’sIncerta glòria(UncertainGlory),inwhichtheauthorrevisits14thAprilwhenTriniMilmanyandSoleràsclimbtheroofoftheUniversityofBarcelonawithaRepublicanflagmadeofremnantsandhandmadepaperstars,inanaïvedreamthatwastobedestroyedontheAragonfront.Thisphantasmagoricalworld,thislostworld,isoneofthemostpowerfulcreationsofCatalanliteratureinthetwentiethcentury.

Theexiletrailhasnearlydisappeared,buttheexileexperienceisstill,inmanyways,aworldinneedofexploration.Lately,oralhistorieshavebeencollectedandpublished,studiesandmonographsonimportantexiledauthorshavebeenofferedupforstudy,andsynthesisingworksthatsituatetheCatalanliteraryexileinthesocietiesandculturesoftheircountriesofexilehavebeguntoappear.Eachyearthereappearwonderfulwritings,collectionsofletters,memoirs,diarieswrittenatthemomentofBarcelona’sfalltoFranco’stroops,storiesofcrossingtheFrenchborder,descriptionsofthesojournintheAmericas.Thiswritinggeneratesanalluringcounterbalancetothenovelsandbiographiesthatdescribethosesameevents,butfrommanyyears’distance.Thewritingmakespossiblemultiplereadingsofthesamehistoricalevents,itcomplementsandenrichessecond-personaccounts,anditopensnewperspectivestointerpretationfromahuman,cultural,politicalandhistoricalpointofview.ButitisstillnecessarytotackleandconsidertheexileexperienceasacollectiveCatalanexperience,throughadiscoursethatsituatesandbringstheexperienceclosertoasensibilityofourtimes,farfromthestereotypesofanti-Francoistresistanceandthepoliticaltransition,ashasoccurredinothercountrieswithotherhistoricalpastsandotherexiles.Itisstillnecessary,thatis,tocometotermswithwhatexilehasrepresentedforusCatalanspeakersbecause,althoughwebelievewehavehealed,wehaveneverknownmuchabouttheexileexperienceII

Julià Guillamon is a writer and literary critic (Barcelona).

II On the trail of exile Julià Guillamon