Being published in Arabic is a strong and consistent wish I have. I live in the Middle East and want to be in some sort of an unpragmatic dialogue with my neighbors.
Etgar KeretFor me taking a pragmatic decision when it comes to art is almost an oxymoron. The reason I first picked up a pen and wrote a story had nothing pragmatic in it.
Etgar KeretThe reason I write is that I'm not in dialogue with my emotions; writing puts me in touch with myself.
Etgar KeretI'm not saying that I don't experience people in life as evil, but writing is not a place of alienation; writing is the place where we can try to be human.
Etgar KeretWhen my works are being translated, I always get this question from my translators: Up or down? Which means, should it sound biblical and highbrow, or should we take it all down to sound colloquial? In Hebrew, it's both all the time. People in Israel would write in a high register, they wouldn't write colloquial speech. I do a special take on colloquial speech.
Etgar Keret