Mit - Index

Mit - SINFO March 2008 No.6 - Index

P E o P L E
Certainly. I am convinced that the first six years of a child’s life marks
the rest of their life. I lived in a world of music and lively cultural
activities, many times I created on my own: me and my classmate
once made some dolls and staged a theatre in a barn…
YOU ALSO HAD A LOvE Of SLOvENIAN
LANGUAGE. IS THIS THE REASON YOU
STUDIED COMPARATIvE LITERATURE
wHILE wORKING AT THE RADIO STATION?
Because I had no opportunity to study earlier. And because, working
as a technician, I had the opportunity to watch the radio elite, in
which there were not many ‘bluffers’ and which really amazed me.
I entered the faculty, attended lectures, worked at the radio station
when others didn’t want to, and graduated in Slavic studies. I went
to the faculty like others went to church: I respected the institution
and people. I haven’t failed a single exam − which means that I
wasn’t a true student (laughs). Well, I already had a family then…
I used to take walks with my children, while my wife would sort
things out in the apartment. My daughter, who used to go for walks
with me, would ask me if I was again listening to the news on the
radio when she heard a cuckoo− I always carried a portable radio
and listened to it (laughs). Well, life went on normally, we also built
houses together, parties and surprises for our wives: I enjoyed the
joyful and relaxed atmosphere at the radio station.
BUT THEN AGAIN: DURING YOUR
PROfESSIONAL AND fAMILY LIfE YOU
wROTE NUMEROUS BOOKS, wHICH
REqUIRED A LOT Of TIME.
Well, I write very, very quickly, because I always studiously prepare
for writing. I do not start until ideas start swarming in my head, then
I make a sketch for a book, I look for information, if necessary, and
then − I write it. I am touched by people I come upon and meet. I
am touched by their stories. I collect material for a long time. I visit
a teacher, lawyer, doctor, if they are to be included in my story, to
get professional background; then I make a plan, start writing and
finish the story.
wHEN YOU wRITE LYRICS, THE PROCESS IS
DIffERENT, ISN’T IT?
It is, and people know me better for my lyrics for folk and pop music.
Writing lyrics requires instant inspiration, an inspiration that lasts
for a few hours and also depends on the type of music. Slovenia
has many, many talented people, who unfortunately do not let
themselves be taught and couldn’t care less about school. I wrote
a poem based on Sonetni venec by France Prešeren with the right
structure and everything, and I studied the book Besedna umetnost
by Silva Trdina −from the first to the last letter. I know what I’m
doing. And everybody who writes poems should. Being a poet is
not only a matter of inspiration, but also of craftsmanship. There is
no romantic aspect in writing any more: today you have to know
something if you want to work!
THE SAME HOLDS TRUE IN JOURNALISM,
IN wHICH YOU HAvE LOTS Of EXPERIENCE.
It’s true, but I have to say journalists have left me rather disappointed:
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almost half of them do not know to speak, write, connect their
thoughts logically, and do not have their own view of a subject. And
every now and then you can find the ‘elite’ which is paid the same
as those who do not have a clue − and this is not right. It seems to
me that journalism in Slovenia is at a very low level.
wELL, NOw THAT YOU HAvE RETIRED, IS
YOUR vIEwPOINT MAYBE LESS BURDENED,
AND YOUR TIME IS EvEN MORE YOURS,
ALTHOUGH IT SEEMS TO ME THAT YOU
ALwAYS KNEw HOw TO TAKE CARE Of
YOURSELf AND YOUR SOUL: YOU wENT
TO THE MOUNTAINS AND CLIMBED MANY
SUMMITS, YOU wENT TO wORK, wROTE AT
HOME AND AT wORK, AND CREATED AN
ENvIABLE AMOUNT Of wORDS. HOw HAvE
YOUR NEAREST AND DEAREST ACCEPTED
YOUR MENTAL AND/OR PHYSICAL
ABSENCE?
Well, this left me with less time to spend with my family, but we knew
how to combine things: we took our children with us everywhere
− to Prešeren, Cankar…When they went to primary school, their
classmates kept saying that they were annoying because they knew
everything: they had to read and study, we had conversations, they
were mad about books, their time and our time was not wasted.
My wife, Sonja, who does completely different things in life, has
a great feeling for language and she is the one who does the
first proofreading, because I hate to do it. No, we didn’t have any
difficulties: I go to the mountains with my wife. We are members of
the Kumarice mountaineering association. Once a month we and
about thirty other people take trips on which we always take an
accordion player, and I make a programme − this is when we ‘switch
off’ from the world!
wHERE DOES ONE fIND fOR EvERYTHING
THAT fULfILS A PERSON AND MAKES
THEM HAPPY IN 24 HOURS Of THE DAY?
Most people do not know how to organise their lives: why should
I watch TV all the time, if I can watch it only for half an hour and
read books the rest of my free time? Why shouldn’t I go to bed with
a book, instead of wasting my time. Why shouldn’t I make love to
my wife and enjoy myself, instead of watching a show on television?
Television was given to us only for entertainment, and it is not a part
of elementary life. And I love to live a basic, full life…
in 2001 the director tugo ©tiglic, in cooperation with the
public broadcaster tv slovenija and timaro productions,
made the feature film for young people pozabljeni zaklad
(forgotten treasure), based on sivec’s youth novel of the
same title, and a tv series with three episodes. the film
was seen by more than 25,000 moviegoers in slovenia and
was awarded the golden roll, given to slovenian films that
sell more than 25,000 tickets. in 2003 ‘forgotten treasure’
was also issued on videotape by the public broadcaster
rtv slovenija, while a new slovenian film based on a sivec
novel is currently in production.