argentine Authors Navigate Generational Shifts, Political Disillusionment, and the Allure of Creative Persistence
Buenos Aires – A recent essay by Argentine writer and editor Alejandro Fidrián examines the work of authors Federico Sivak and Josefina Tender, alongside Nico Gadano, revealing a shared reluctance to view politics as all-encompassing.fidrián’s piece, published by Seoul, highlights a generational divergence, noting a shift away from the collective ideals of the 1970s towards individualistic pursuits.
Fidrián was notably struck by the lack of defensiveness displayed by 13-year-old Josefina in response to generational comparisons - a common trope among those who came of age in the ’70s and beyond. This observation underscores a broader theme within the authors’ work: a rejection of the notion that life must be entirely defined by political allegiance.
Both Sivak and Tender,like Gadano in his the Topper Box (Seix Barral,2019),present a nuanced perspective,not necessarily rejecting politics,but refusing to allow it to “totally wrap” life. Fidrián argues this stance, seemingly apolitical, is itself a political choice, possibly a rejection of recent trends.
Fidrián recalls a conversation with Sivak, who co-founded and initially directed El Diario, where he aimed for a “non-facious left.” This desire for neutrality extended to Sivak’s relationships with figures like Evo Morales, maintaining sympathy without allowing it to dictate his position.
In Sivak’s The Crying, Fidrián detects a disillusionment with politics and activism, portraying early Chavismo, the Zapatistas, and Morales’ rise with a detached, almost performative quality. Previous professions – journalism, doctoral studies, publishing, sociology - are similarly depicted as losing their significance, leaving the narrator at a crossroads.
Fidrián concludes by expressing envy for Sivak and Tender’s continued dedication to writing amidst the demands of adult life, contrasting it with his own path into politics and publishing, promising a return to writing “every year.”
