Venus Rising

ProfileIssue: Sagittarius 06

Professor Tina Escaja Inspires Women around the World

Whose poetry do you enjoy the most? Why?
Poetry written by women. This is out of personal interest and my profession as a literary critic. It is a political move as well: recovering women’s voices, questioning the canon, pointing at the discrimination and violence toward women expressed through poetry, are part of my interests and themes.

What do you like about Pedro Almodovar films? How do they portray the current state of womanhood? How are his films received by Spanish audiences? by U.S. audiences?
I used to adore (and teach) Pedro Almodóvar’s films. I love, in particular, the irreverence of his first films, such as “Pepi, Luci, Bom y otras chicas del montón” (Pepi, Luci, Bom and Other Girls on the Heap) or “Entre tinieblas” (Dark Habits). In these early films, Almodóvar was expressing a celebration of a liberated Spain that clashed with the constraints of Franco’s regime. Then, Almodóvar moved to a more stylized, Hollywood-like filmmaking. He never lost his ability to be irreverent and free, but, in my opinion, he lost his freshness. This is also a process of maturity, unavoidable. Almodóvar’s portraits of women are ambivalent: often liberated, strong, professional women, but attached to certain clichés of womanhood that are problematic, such sentimentality and dependence on men. I believe his representations of LGBT issues are among Almodóvar’s best accomplishments.

About his audience, I would say that, in general, Almodóvar is very much loved by a section of the Spanish public. A more conservative audience would never see or approve of a movie made by him. I suspect this is also true for U.S. audiences.

What do you find most fulfilling about teaching?
Students. The interaction with students is always a treat. I particularly love creating a change in perceptions, a space for questioning and awe. Whenever I feel I managed to produce some impact, I have a sense of accomplishment and connection.

What is life like with your husband, Uwe? How did you meet? How does he support your career?
Uwe Heiss is my partner of 11 years. We met in Nicaragua.  I was traveling south Latin América; he was traveling north. My first stop after accompanying a group of UVM students to Honduras was Nicaragua. I met Uwe when looking for hotels and he offered to go with me to visit the University and find this bookstore. We got lost in the search for the store and ended up in a cathedral in ruins, heavily guarded and fenced, where a German crew was conducting a documentary. We managed to enter that surreal space filled with angels, neo-classical vaults and mirrors set for the film. That was our place of connection. Afterward, we kept meeting in cathedrals of the world. The first cathedral after Nicaragua was in Bogotá, Colombia. We had continued our travels but were settled to meet in Bogotá a certain date and time. When I received an e-mail from Uwe saying that he got a plane ticket to Bogotá two days before our meeting day, I decided to change my own ticket without telling him. I arrived two days earlier to a Cathedral in full celebration. I sat at the rear benches, and Uwe soon came as well. We then kept meeting two days before the established date in cathedrals for years, during our long distance relationship (he used to live in Switzerland), until I once forgot in Cuba, but he still found me in the streets of a crowded Havana!

Uwe continues finding me when I get disoriented, in life and with my work. He is my anchor and a big part of my sense of gravity. We live a fresh, creative life together with our kids. It is easy and smooth, however complex life with kids is. I love that I can be myself and be with him, with no disruption. This is perhaps his best way to support me and my career. Uwe also gave up a lot and created a lot as well by choosing to stay in Vermont. This is a unique path for a successful man to take, and he did it without hesitation.

What do you enjoy most about motherhood? What do you find most difficult?
My daughter, Alex, is seven and my daughter, Vera, is five. The most amazing thing about motherhood is seeing your kids grow, being a witness to their changing perceptions of the world, which affects your own perceptions. The most difficult thing perhaps, besides the practical matters, is to try to smooth that entering into the world, to find a balance between protection and empowerment. To help them grow. We are not taught to be parents, or perhaps we have ill models of parenthood, so being a parent is a great challenge.

What is your advice to women on living a happy and fulfilling life?
Be yourself; enjoy what you choose to do, and do it. It is easier said than done, but it is a must. There is so much demand on us that it is hard to find space for what one really wants to be. But we should be able to find this space and rearrange priorities to make this happen.