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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 14, 2012)
! i 3 Street roots Sept. 14, 2012 I r I ï « 1 i ’» ï «M 1 A COELHO, from page 1 1 _ P H O T O C O U R TE S Y OF PAU LO CO ELHO outlawed in Iran. bestseller? How did you become a But what is it about his books that journalist? Just changing how to why makes warrants them being banned? “Why they are a lot of difference to life. which may come as a shock given the solace dangerous? Ask them, ask them!” he “All my books, and this I guarantee, I put his novels have provided for so many. exclaims. “Any idea may be dangerous. It the same enthusiasm and love,” he At the time, Coelho should have been on depends on the culture that absorbs it. continues. “Having said that, you can top of the world — a happily married Writing implies the revolution of the writer imagine if I thought about half a billion bestselling author. Instead, he was itself. So I don’t know why some books are people (reading my books) I would be suffocating in his “comfort zone.” banned here or there. I don’t ask questions - paralyzed. It’s natural that we try to please “It looked like I had no more challenges I have Internet, don’t worry.” everybody, so we cannot think about this.” in life,” he explains. “This is not good A proud Internet pirate, Coelho is Born in 1947 in Rio de Janeiro to a because life is a constant challenge. People notorious among his publishers for middle class family, Coelho was committed tend to stay in the comfort zone because it distributing much his work online for free. to a mental institution three times by his is safe [but] if you don’t accept challenges And anticipating that “Aleph” would be parents from the age of 17. Rejecting their you are dead!” banned in Iran, he posted a prominent link wishes for him to become a lawyer, Coelho This diagnosis does not bode well for on his website for the Farsi translation of lived as a hippie until 1974 when his Western society, where lives are dictated by the book. “You won’t believe me,” he teases, subversive politics attracted the attention of TV schedules and people are trapped by “but we have had 317,000 downloads of this the Brazil’s military dictatorship, who routine. By Coelho’s definition, we are not Farsi edition.” imprisoned and tortured him, leading to a really living. Revolutionizing how authors interact with fracture in his otherwise unwavering their readers online, Coelho spends hours each day posting regular blog entries and Catholic beliefs. replying to user comments. Last year he “I totally lost my R evolutionizing how authors was declared the second most influential faith,” he admits. “I Interact w ith th e ir readers Twitter user in a survey carried out by thought, this cannot onllste, Coelho spends hours happen to me. This is Forbes Magazine. “More influential than Lady Gaga and Barack Obama,” he says, each day posting regular not fair, this is not laughing. Only bubblegum popping teen just, God does not blog entries and replying to messiah Justin Bieber pipped him to the top me. It took me user comments, la s t year he love spot. seven years to get rid was declared the second “I’m really crossing my fingers for Justin of this experience. Bieber to use his celebrity to do “When you are in most in flu e n tia l T w itter user something,” Coelho adds. “He is very young jail and you are In a survey carried out by but I hope he can use his influence to do tortured, you don’t Forbes Magaalne. "More something good.” exist anymore,” he In flu e n tia l than hady flag a The statement almost sounds facetious, continues. “After you but the sentiment is sincere. Believing that are released the and Baracfe O banta/? he art has the potential to unite humanity, prison remains in saysy laughing. Coelho primarily uses his blog to share your soul.” But since stories from around the world and a person is the sum encourage others to do the same with of his experiences, whatever creative outlets available to them. can Coelho consider “Let’s not generalize, Steven,” he scolds, “At this present moment, all bridges are his suffering an important part of his playfully. “Many people, but not everyone, collapsing: economic, political, social. There spiritual journey toward the man he would otherwise I would not have any readers! It’s is only one bridge still standing — the become? a tendency we have, and we have to fight cultural bridge,” Coelho says. “I may not “I doubt, Steven,” he sighs. “Probably my against it.” understand your political system, I may not period in the mental institution was very As “A leph” topped bestselling charts in understand your religion but I understand useful for me, but I don’t think you need to countries as diverse as Brazil, Serbia and your story. I understand your painting. I be arrested and tortured to arrive where the United States, it seems one question he understand your music, your dancing. There you need to arrive. This is the only thing must be asked constantly is unavoidable: you have this bridge. that I would gladly erase from my past. What is the secret of his success? “It is my responsibility as a writer to do “I see friends who never ever recovered “There is no reason!” he retorts. my best not to allow this bridge to collapse.” from this. For every three people who “Reasons you give for deceits. You can give “Aleph” is out now. You can follow Paulo succeeded in overcoming their ordeal, seven a thousand reasons to justify deceit but you Coelho on twitter @paulocoelho. are broken for life. Nothing justifies being never can explain success.” arrested (simply because) you have a www.street-papers.org / The Big Issue UK “Don’t ask me also, ‘What do I do with different idea.” my money?”’ he chides. “Everyone asks a Coelho’s ideas are still being suppressed lot of ‘how,’ they don’t ask ‘why.’ How did by some regimes. For example, his work is you become rich? How did you become a If you need help with any of the following 211 mfo From your cell phone: 503-222-5555. Food Resources Health Care Public Agencies Legal Services Employment Resources Counseling/Support Groups Housing/Emergency Shelter And Much More! ■ The easy-to-remember telephone number that connects people in need to community resources. 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