Articles

Interview with the poet Martin Vlado (Book Revue 2007/11)

Art is, among others, certain kind of searching, when mortal has the feeling that ethic, science or religion does not satisfy him. Maybe it is searching of something divine out of divine, when the questions exist, but there are no answers. Literary production can also patch the empty holes which cause that there is something not rounded off in our consciousness. I know you are a believer. What can't offer you for example the Christianity? Whom or what are you looking for in your poetry?

I understand Christianity as a kind of offer. And as for my poetry, I will find there nothing else as me, no matter how hard I would try. And through myself I will find something what inspired me to take a pen, paper and try to write a poem. Or aphopoem, as someone aptly named my maneuvering between aphorism and poem. Poetry can be a dialogue with God. And it doesn't have to be only deadly serious conversation; after all, sense of humour is certain kind of intelligence. I believe it is a God's gift which doesn't clash with poetry too much. Some time ago, Tomáš Janovic signed under several aphopoems from my book Cafédrale / Dream of an Orthodox Coffee Lover which contains some of these rather witty "flirts" with God. I'll afford to show: "God is just one / if there were more of them / they would never / agree on / the creation of world." Inspiration not only by something divine. I think that approval of such texts by Mr. Janovic proves that I didn't take the God's name in vain.