The Paris Review unearths a Neruda interview from 1971.
From the piece...
INTERVIEWER
Why did you change your name, and why did you choose “Pablo Neruda”?
PABLO NERUDA
I don’t remember. I was only thirteen or fourteen years old. I
remember that it bothered my father very much that I wanted to write.
With the best of intentions, he thought that writing would bring
destruction to the family and myself and, especially, that it would lead
me to a life of complete uselessness. He had domestic reasons for
thinking so, reasons which did not weigh heavily on me. It was one of
the first defensive measures that I adopted—changing my name.
INTERVIEWER
Did you choose “Neruda” because of the Czech poet Jan Neruda?
NERUDA
I’d read a short story of his. I’ve never read his poetry, but he has a book entitled Stories from Malá Strana
about the humble people of that neighborhood in Prague. It is possible
that my new name came from there. As I say, the whole matter is so far
back in my memory that I don’t recall. Nevertheless, the Czechs think of
me as one of them, as part of their nation, and I’ve had a very
friendly connection with them.
INTERVIEWER
In case you are elected president of Chile, will you keep on writing?
NERUDA
For me writing is like breathing. I could not live without breathing and I could not live without writing.
1 comment:
Love this--love Neruda, period. "It's like breathing"--indeed. Thanks for sharing!
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