In the spotlight Luis Pérez-Amezcua
What were your first thoughts when you saw the call for applications for the fellowship?
When I saw the call for the fellowship, I felt excited, because I had already been exploring the theme of apocalypse in mythology and literature for a while. So, I decided to apply. I immediately put it in the “things to do” list. But to be honest, I never thought I was going to be selected, so when I received the news from CAPAS telling me that my dream of working in Europe was about to come true, I was so happy that I celebrated for a week.
What does the apocalypse and/or post-apocalypse mean for you? (from your individual perspective; from the perspective of your discipline)
For me, apocalypse in literature and culture is a mode of reflection and redemption. Reflection on the possibilities of the future from the analysis and intuition of the present, and redemption from the mistakes we make as a species; altering and exploiting the world, killing it slowly because of economic ambitions.
What is/was your fellowship trying to achieve, which questions is/was it addressing, and with which methods?
I started with a premise: “In literature, when one talks about ‘apocalypse’, in reality,
or simultaneously, one is also talking about something else”. In consequence, one big question is: What are we talking about when we read Latin American novels about the apocalypse? Here, I want to bring up what I said in my work in progress presentation:
What I am looking for is:
- a neuroscientific update of the physiology of the imagination (because the body never lies).
- a philosophical background (to shut detractors up), and
- time to read (goddamn it!).
How does/did the fellowship project build on or connect to your previous career or biography?
I normally study the transition of myth from literary texts to the screen: tv shows, or movies, or video games. I started to note that apocalyptic narratives are everywhere, and that they were appearing increasingly, also in Latin American literature. I believe that behind every representation of the apocalypse there is an explicit or hidden myth. So, the connection between the CAPAS intentions with my own was something natural.
What do you take with you from the project and its results (personally, career wise or for the state of research)?
I want to go personal in answering this, because the research is still ongoing (and, as you know, it never ends). As I said, living and working in Europe has been a dream of mine since I was a bachelor’s student, so this project gave me the opportunity to make my dream come true. And to get to know world class colleagues from different disciplines and countries, to work for a very prestigious university as Heidelberg university, and especially in such a rich, sui generis research centre as CAPAS, was absolutely the best way to do it.
What was particularly valuable for you in terms of the input from other disciplines, other perspectives, and the exchange with the fellows and people at CAPAS?
I was particularly attracted to the work of my colleague (and now friend) Anaïs Maurer: the stories of nuclear survivors and climate activists on Pacific islands. I did not know the indigenous peoples who live there are experiencing these post-apocalyptic traumas and problems due to the governments that have been conducting nuclear tests there. And, of course, because I live in Mexico very near the Pacific Ocean, these peoples are my neighbors, and it hurts.
To get some practical advice: What would be the three things you would definitely need in a post-apocalyptic world?
An inexhaustible lighter, my family, and Homer’s Iliad.
What are some of your favourite pop culture references to the/an (post)apocalypse — whether its films, books, a YouTube channel, or music — what can you recommend?
The film The Matrix was a very special one for me, since it combines deep philosophical ideas with a coherent techno-biological possibility: brains and nervous systems as controllable machines It also has amazing characters, visuals, and references to classical mythological sources. I would also recommend, in a Mexican context, the tv show Diablero (available in Netflix): this one depicts the possibility of an apocalypse starting in Mexico City, including some representative figures of Mexican mystic culture.
Luis Pérez-Amezcua is Professor-Researcher at the Department of Arts and Humanities of the University of Guadalajara. His lines of research are the intermedia study of myth (myth criticism) in pop culture, Mexican literature, and academic literacy. From March to August 2024, he conducted research as a fellow at CAPAS.