- In an exclusive interview with “The Sun of Saint Louis“The novelita from San Luis Potosí Ramiro Castillo Mancilla tells us about his most recent novel entitled: “La solitude de Honorio”
- The character in my novel seeks a superior communication with himself, an autarkic ideal. Disappointed in a materialistic society in decline, said the renowned writer
- We live in a society in which everything is bought and happiness is sought where they will not find it, since it is not in tangible means, and for this reason, my character renounces the conventions of a perishable society without a compass and he is going to live in the mountains
In an exclusive interview withThe Sun of Saint Louis” Ramiro Castillo Mancilla, a novelita from San Luis Potosí, tells us about his most recent novel titled: “La solitude de Honorio”. The character in my novel seeks a superior communication with himself, an autarkic ideal. Disappointed in a materialistic society in decline, said the renowned writer.
We live in a society in which everything is bought and happiness is sought where they will not find it, since it is not in tangible means, and for this reason, my character renounces the conventions of a perishable society without a compass and He is going to live in the mountains, said the prolific author of 14 novels.
Born in the community of Nogalitos de la Cruz, municipality of Armadillo de los Infante. About his most recent novel entitled “Honorio’s Solitude”, the renowned writer told us.
Why that title?
Because back in my precarious childhood, in elementary school, I had a teacher named Honorio, and that name means honorable, honorable. In addition, there were three Pontiffs named like this and some people I know with that name are upright, admirable and respectable.
Why the theme of loneliness?
Because Honorio seeks a superior communication with himself, an autarkic ideal. Disappointed by a materialistic society in decline, in which everything is bought and where happiness is sought where they will not find it, since it is not in the tangible means, and for this reason he renounces the conventions of a perishable society without a compass and he goes to live in the mountains.
What is the central theme of the novel and what is the message?
Honorio seeks spirituality within philosophy, because after studying in a seminar his inner emptiness persisted and the “Eternal Truths” failed to stop him, since his rebellious character sought spontaneity. He began to investigate the books of the great masters of thought, who make philosophy a consolation, a hope, and in it he believed he found what he was looking for. He was convinced that the questions were answered by other questions there, and that there were no impositions of affirmations or denials; but only abstract concepts, so that each one could draw the conclusions that he wanted and so on, causing his mind to open up and in addition to knowing himself.
As far as possible he freed himself from the freedom of reason, and discovered for himself that true happiness is in unity with nature.
And after hard struggles with himself, he finally managed to get his spirit out of his comfort zone and in doing so the blindfold fell off his eyes and he realized that the world is pure illusion, and that if he did not see it or not palpated did not exist. That he was outside of time, and time only existed in the mind of the one who perceived it. He finally managed to enjoy that precious beatitude, which is the most precious asset in this world, of which the Gospels speak and to which the Saints and wise men of all times have reached.
The work also has its fictional side with the vicissitudes of Honorio to free himself from his family, who consider him crazy, and one day they find his cave in ashes.
Man of deep reflections:
The truth that is in each of us, and can be found filling our “Psyche”, with what one really feels in the depths of his being. Honorio climbed the high peaks of it, based on painful renunciations, until he reached the highest level of knowledge that humanity has reached.
Relying on philosophy, but other men have achieved it by making use of the most absurd superstitions, exercising themselves in doing the opposite of what their nature asks of them. So they have freed themselves from the chains of necessity, and have glimpsed the freedom of their nature. Perhaps that is the highest laurel crown reached by men who see the world sub specie aeternitatis, and that one has to settle for just reading his biographies, given the impossibility of knowing them personally, not without feeling some envy.
At the end of the interview we asked him about his next novel and he says that it will probably be one in which he tries to rescue part of the Pame culture, which seems to be becoming extinct with modernity.
ABOUT THE NOVELIST RAMIRO CASTILO MANCILLA
Ramiro Castillo Mancilla, is a novelist from San Luis Potosí born in the community of Nogalitos de la Cruz, on March 24, 1956. He comes from a large family of which there were 15 siblings. Since he was a child, he had to work selling chewing gum and newspapers to help pay for his studies (before there were no scholarships).
Since elementary school he was an outstanding student. Lacking television in his family, he became fond of reading borrowed books. Over time, he graduated as an Engineer at the San Luis Potosí Regional Technology Center, later he began working in the oil industry. His literary vocation was discovered by the educator from San Luis Potosí Don Pascual Guillermo Gilbert Valero, (a lawyer by profession), through a chance meeting in the library of the San Luis Potosí university.
Over time, he became interested in reading her handwritten writings, and he suggested that she transcribe them by typewriter to understand them. Later he urged him to read “Don Quixote de la Mancha” thoroughly and that if he memorized it it was better (as a joke). And that if he had talent he would write good novels. He continues to advise him to this day and has prefaced some of his works.
He currently has 14 published novels and also helped him overcome the inherent difficulties until he became a member of the General Society of Writers of Mexico (SOGEM) to which he currently belongs.
He was awarded in 2017 by the Porrúa bookstore with a national short novel award with “A hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico”. His book Genesis of a town (Armadillo de los Infante), has served as a basis, among others, to promote the municipality to the category of magical town, which is in process.
Some of his novels are of the costumbrista genre, for which he has been identified as a portrait writer from the Mexican countryside; rescuing their tangible and intangible customs, preserving the culture that is gradually disappearing due to globalization.
His marital status married to Olivia Muñoz and father of 3 children Ramiro, Alma and Leonel. He has little affection for social networks because he does not even have Facebook, his writings are the old one with handwriting and with a Larousse dictionary: his pseudonym “the solitary”.
The published novels are: Roxana and the Petromex, A tragic love, Longing for a Mexican migrant, A hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, Shadows of a ghost town, The hermit, A medieval monk, The death of the coyote, Conversations in the pantheon , Génesis de un pueblo (Armadillo de los Infante), Peones de hacienda and El mirage del oro negro (Ciudad del Carmen) and now “La solitude de Honorio”, his latest novel presented at the Casa de la Cultura in the Barrio de San Miguelito , by Lic. Guillermo Gilbert Valero and Engineer Eduardo Ramos Murillo, Director of “La Bohemia de San Luis”.
He thanks Mr. Fernando López García, Director of the House of Culture of the San Miguelito Neighborhood, for the opportunity to present his novel in said neighborhood house that promotes art and culture in all its dimensions and for all ages.
Ramiro Castillo Mancilla presents his latest novel: “Honorio’s Solitude”