The idea of a “portable” p
iece is a translated tribute to Historia abreviada de la literatura portátil or Brief History of Portable Literature. This was a visionary novella, a radical mix of essay and fiction, that took real well-known people from different fields and made them interact in a fictional world. In a short and magnificent piece, Enrique Vila-Matas story-telling and skillful language honor the lightness and beauty of small things and celebrated talent, creativity and innovation in the intellectual history of the XX century.
In the book, Russian writers, musicians, German philosophers, American painters, poets and shandies belonged to a secret society that adheres to an only principle inspired by the mobile- desk, Box in a Valise of Marcel Duchamp: all their creations need to be “light”, need to be able to travel, and literally, to fit into a suitcase. The members were part of a conspiracy to provide innovative solutions to get rid of the immobile and inflexible in different projects. If this society existed, I would love to be part of it.
Angela Lang 