Feliz Navidad! I want to wish you a merry Christmas. Christmas is just around the corner. Yesterday, two of my grandchildren came over and huddled by my Christmas tree. My princess, was so excited and wanted to open presents. Of course, I delivered the bad news that we had to wait a couple of weeks. She didn't take the news well, and started talking, half of which reminded me of Spanglish. Although English is what she speaks, she has always had a fascination with other languages. She watches Blippie in Spanish, and some crazy cartoon in Russian. She's all over the place. This brings me to my next author and the book, "Lewis-My Soul-Bailey," by MSB. The book is written in Spanglish. Take a look.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Lewis -My Soul- Bailey is a
dance of lyrics between English and Spanish. All the history happens in Widnes,
Liverpool, and explains first-person schizophrenia all recounted by Lewis
Bailey, the protagonist, a boy who has trouble differentiating reality from
what happens in his imagination. It's a prose displeased with the present,
humanity, the way of life, the machines, Tinder, Youtube... and more. He has suffered the divorce of his parents, and well, one day, he gets up
and decides not to take his medication; that's where this argument begins. We'll
see how it ends.
¿HAS QUERIDO MORIR ALGUNA VEZ?Inglaterra. Liverpool. Widnes... Lewis Bailey conocido en el lugar por ser un chico calladito y extraño. Lewis Bailey y sus serios brotes psicóticos que a veces despiertan sin más...Pero...
¿Alguien sabe de verdad cómo piensa un enfermo de Esquizofrenia?
LEWIS -MY SOUL- BAILEY: Esta novela es un relato intenso en el cual la literatura española se pone en contacto con el inglés más puro del norte... SPANGLISH! Relatado en primera persona por su protagonista Lewis Bailey, un scouser romántico de pensamientos que se deja perder entre su locura y su tremenda adicción a la cocaína y las drogas en general. ¿Quieres saber más? ¿Cómo puede acabar todo esto? ¿Suicidio y escapar? ¿La familia puede jugar un papel vital? ¿Un joven puede pensar más en la muerte que en vivir? ¿Cómo es la Inglaterra más del norte desde el punto de vista juvenile?
¿Alguien sabe de verdad cómo piensa un enfermo de Esquizofrenia?
LEWIS -MY SOUL- BAILEY: Esta novela es un relato intenso en el cual la literatura española se pone en contacto con el inglés más puro del norte... SPANGLISH! Relatado en primera persona por su protagonista Lewis Bailey, un scouser romántico de pensamientos que se deja perder entre su locura y su tremenda adicción a la cocaína y las drogas en general. ¿Quieres saber más? ¿Cómo puede acabar todo esto? ¿Suicidio y escapar? ¿La familia puede jugar un papel vital? ¿Un joven puede pensar más en la muerte que en vivir? ¿Cómo es la Inglaterra más del norte desde el punto de vista juvenile?
MSB
Author website: amazon.com/author/msbmariomilan
Tell your readers a
little about yourself, where you grew up, where you live now, where you went to
school etc. Let them get to know the personal you
I grew up in the belly of La Pili. And, Rogelio helped a lot...
Haha!
No, seriously now, I grew up in Reus, a small town one hour from Barcelona in Gaudi's city. I currently live in Barcelona. I've lived here for seven years with Kira, my German shepherd. She controls the house and I write! I studied but I learned to write with Bukowski on the street. With a magic cigar inside the car of Manu, an old friend of Reus's, my school expelled me at eighteen because I had an alcoholic coma in the school bathroom. Then, I had to learn to write. If I wasn't still just an alcoholic! You know, school was a short word in the '90s to explain what is education now? So, I don't care too much about schooling.
No, seriously now, I grew up in Reus, a small town one hour from Barcelona in Gaudi's city. I currently live in Barcelona. I've lived here for seven years with Kira, my German shepherd. She controls the house and I write! I studied but I learned to write with Bukowski on the street. With a magic cigar inside the car of Manu, an old friend of Reus's, my school expelled me at eighteen because I had an alcoholic coma in the school bathroom. Then, I had to learn to write. If I wasn't still just an alcoholic! You know, school was a short word in the '90s to explain what is education now? So, I don't care too much about schooling.
What inspired you to
author this book?
Good question to introduce
you to the protagonist of the book. Lewis is real. He existed and for me,
personally, he still exists. Lewis is now a feeling. For me, ever since Owen
Conroy (the co-star of the story) told me Lewis' story, he always has been
inside me. Everything happens inside his mind but is not seen outside. Outside
is simply a small act that. Well, you better read it!
Widnes, the small town of Liverpool, and everything I saw during my time there, has had a vital impact on history.
Widnes, the small town of Liverpool, and everything I saw during my time there, has had a vital impact on history.
Where did you get the inspiration for
your book’s cover?
Not bad. The cover is something that has the basis of seeing the
covers so crowded with things or very ostentatious drawings. I think today, the
simple things with a title and concise subtitle impact the reader more. Then,
speaking of the cover, the idea that Lewis' shadow was displayed when you put
it under the light, and that in the shade it looks only black and the lyrics,
arises from my German shepherd, Kira, in the shadow, it looks like it's a
monster, but then you turn on the light and it's just an endearing hairball. I liked the idea of being able to play with
light and darkness, it is a theme that the book talks about and I have always
been interested in textures, so I tried to put everything together on a cover. I
trust I've made it attractive as if to enjoy the eyes.
Who has been the most significant
influence on you personally and as a writer?
My father -- like a person. My mom -- like a human. My sister -- like a
brother.
In writing, my grandfather was always the best storyteller in the neighborhood. He would always follow me on the way to school, held my hand, and explained a story that I could never get out of my head. Ben Harrison, the singer of Little Grace, he is the best songwriter in the UK, so I've tried to get a lot of nutrition from his lyrics and I am able to bring it to the book. As a writer, it has helped me to read a lot continuously and keep from failing to write. It is a form of expression that, combined with weed, can acquire an incredible potency.
In writing, my grandfather was always the best storyteller in the neighborhood. He would always follow me on the way to school, held my hand, and explained a story that I could never get out of my head. Ben Harrison, the singer of Little Grace, he is the best songwriter in the UK, so I've tried to get a lot of nutrition from his lyrics and I am able to bring it to the book. As a writer, it has helped me to read a lot continuously and keep from failing to write. It is a form of expression that, combined with weed, can acquire an incredible potency.
What were your
struggles or obstacles you had to overcome to get this book written?
Oh... My ex-wife was always
the strongest obstacle in this horse race!
I broke my jaw in an accident, so that gave me a lot of struggle during the healing process. I left the cocaine, this was sad enough. I locked myself in a white room for three months. I had to see myself on the street and in a hostel with my German shepherd. A little cold, and hungry, this made feel me feel like shit, but, well, I think there are people who have bigger obstacles in this life than me authoring this book. It's all the difficulties I have experienced, that have further nurtured the argument -- there's no art without suffering. There's no suffering without teaching that will make it better. I like obstacles; I jump at them all and never look back.
Although in Spain it is said that, "Esto no ha sido un camino de Rosas precisamente..."
I broke my jaw in an accident, so that gave me a lot of struggle during the healing process. I left the cocaine, this was sad enough. I locked myself in a white room for three months. I had to see myself on the street and in a hostel with my German shepherd. A little cold, and hungry, this made feel me feel like shit, but, well, I think there are people who have bigger obstacles in this life than me authoring this book. It's all the difficulties I have experienced, that have further nurtured the argument -- there's no art without suffering. There's no suffering without teaching that will make it better. I like obstacles; I jump at them all and never look back.
Although in Spain it is said that, "Esto no ha sido un camino de Rosas precisamente..."
Tell your readers
about your book.
Lewis -My Soul- Bailey is a
dance of lyrics between English and Spanish. All the history happens in Widnes,
Liverpool, and explains first-person schizophrenia. Recounted by Lewis
Bailey, the protagonist, a boy who has trouble differentiating reality from
what happens in his imagination, it's a prose displeased with the present,
humanity, the way of life, the machines, Tinder, Youtube... all
that. He has suffered through the divorce of his parents, and well, one day, he gets up
and decides not to take his medication; that's where this argument begins. We'll
see how it ends.
Who is your target
audience, and why?
Create a target audience is a wrong
concept I think. Literature is for everyone. It would be unreasonable to put
limitations on an already limited sector in itself. I like it to be read by the
old man at the Widnes Pub and the young lady from Manchester and the old lady
from Madrid and the hippie from Bilbao and the underground lad from Barcelona
and some spice girl from Tarragona. I don't have a target audience other than the one
who doesn't like to read. For all those who don't like to read, they have those
poets who, from a white page, fill the white with three lines. That does have a
target audience. A novel is a movie; everyone can see it. The topics it deals with,
drugs and mental illness are latent and real issues in today's society, better
to speak about it and normalize both to put the help that's needed. That is an
open target for those who want to enjoy the Spanglish lyrics.
What do you consider
your greatest success in life?
I'm the king of losers. So
the word "success" is hard for me. I live on flashes and collect them
in lyrics. Failures give me stories. The triumphs I forget quickly, but looking
my right hand and having a novel coming out, it's nice, and knowing that
the left hand already had many stories explained. It's a triumph to keep
writing. For me, success it's not just an action or and fact; it's more a
feeling and feelings are too short for can be a concrete thing.
What one unique thing
sets you apart from other writers in your genre?
Well. I'm wearing a hat. I'm
a son of la Pili. I'm Spanish, but half scouser. I write in Spanglish. I'm
talking to you in English and I think I'm the first one wearing the Spanish
flag here, right? Well, I write differently, just that. They're very straight
all the time. Literature also has to be urban and catchy. Create an impact is
important and I try to do it as smoothly as possible. I don't differentiate
anything from other writers, I just smoke better weed and I have more style
telling this in America.
