An interview with the novelist who raised me
Having been raised by a successful novelist who has a never-ending supply of information in the realms of history and art, it is almost impossible to not be influenced by the amount of information surrounding me constantly. When I was a kid, a curious look at an old movie on TV would induce a lecture from my father about the entire history and art of the film industry in the Arab world in relation to social movements and ideologies of the time. For a seven-year-old, it was too many big words, too many names and numbers to fully understand.
But his enthusiasm made me want to.
Growing up, this ever-present variation of art in the form of books, movies, music, and paintings gave birth to my persistent need to create and discover art. Artwork was all over the place. All his friends were artists. I thought that everyone grew up to be artists.
However, underlying factors such as family and society can also influence creativity and art. I decided to ask my dad a few questions about his progression into art.
Hadeel Iraq: Were your parents artists? If so, how did you find your individual voice in relation to theirs?
Nasser Iraq: My father was an artist, he loved art and literature very much. That affected my mother and he taught her reading and writing, for she hadn’t gone to school. His passion made him a sophisticated intellect and artist. That again affected my siblings — we are seven and I was the second youngest. So growing up, the influence of my family is by far the strongest. I always say that I have been lucky to grow up in a different family that greatly appreciates the arts in life — literature, music, movies, philosophy, politics — all of it was always discussed at home with unbelievable passion and depth In terms of my individual voice, my father and siblings were accountants, scientists, and engineers; they practiced the arts as a hobby. I was the only one that actively pursued art as a career, and I guess that was how I found my voice.
HI: Do you wish that I became an artist?
NI: (Laughter) Sweetheart … you already are an artist! You don’t have to have a career in the arts to be an artist; I see you draw and I see you write and much more … that counts too!
It should not be particularly surprising that a child of an artist grows up with a desire to make art. I grew up performing, painting, and writing, but faced an identity crisis when having to decide what career to follow — for the limitless sense of discovery that accompanies the sciences also captured my heart! Needless to say, taking the science path surprised my dad a little, but he was still supportive as always. I felt the artistic pathway was a little too much pressure; there were too many people to compare with and an internal need to live up to my dad’s success. It was even harder that he’s worked in almost every artistic medium. It sometimes makes me question my source of influence, and that takes me down a whole road of a could-be identity crisis as an artist (and possibly as an individual). So, I decided to pursue art as a hobby instead.
It can be hard to be objective with art — mine as well as my dad’s. I have not read any of his novels yet (purposefully), but I intend to this year. With time and age, I’ve learned to acknowledge my dad’s influence and to find peace with it. I’ve learned that an artist’s goal is more personal and internal. The children of artists may understand what their parents are doing and share in aspects of it, but no one can truly participate in another’s creative act. That they must discover within themselves.
And so here I am, picking up the pen again, and hoping I never run out of ink.
Photo by Hadeel Iraq