An Accidental Hero: Roy Lotz on Washington Irving in Spain
Roy Lotz is an American author living in Madrid. In the article below, he writes about how he accidentally followed in the footsteps of Washington Irving, discovering an unexpected connection across time and continents. Sometimes, destiny has a way of bringing us back to the stories we try to leave behind.
His second book, Don Bigote, published by Ybernia Press, will be released on February 21. A satirical take on Don Quijote, it uses classic Spanish literature to poke fun at modern American politics.
An Accidental Hero
Growing up in Sleepy Hollow, the name of Washington Irving—originator of the eponymous legend—was everywhere. I lived right next to the famous cemetery, where the man himself is buried; my high school football team were the Horsemen; the ‘haunted hayride’ passed right behind my house (complete with a man dressed as the headless horseman); and on and on.
In such circumstances, it is perhaps understandable that I developed a certain hostility to all things Irving. I had absolutely no interest in reading his books or watching any of the film versions of the legend, and resented the attention my town received every Halloween from hordes of tourists. Residents of Salem, I imagine, must develop similar feelings on the subject of witches and witchcraft. It’s just too much.
The Spanish connection
It was a sort of disagreeable surprise, then, when I found out that one of the most popular books about the Alhambra was written by—Washington Irving. Somehow, despite living in a town whose very name derives from his story (Sleepy Hollow was known as North Tarrytown for most of its history), I had never learned that Irving spent a large part of his life overseas, in Spain. So it seemed that, even moving across an ocean, I couldn’t escape Irving’s ghostly presence.
But this had a positive consequence. For the first time, I found myself curious about Irving. Whereas he had previously been the writer of trivial scary stories, he emerged to me as one of the great pioneers of American letters—a man whose life and work helped to put the young nation on the map as a cultural powerhouse. Along with Fenimore Cooper, Irving made the rest of the lettered world take the United States seriously.
This discovery culminated in my own visit to the Alhambra. On the path leading up to the old fortress, a metal statue of Irving greets the visitor. I stood next to him for a photo—two children of the Hudson somehow meeting in Spain. And for the first time, I even felt a twinge of pride to be connected with him and his legacy.
Moving away from Hemingway
It is a curious thing to be accidentally following Irving’s footsteps. Far more aspiring expat writers, I’d reckon, identify with another American writer: Ernest Hemingway. His Spain is the Spain of femme fatales, bullfighters, cheap wine, and the Civil War. Irving’s Spain is quite different. Like all of his writings, his stories on Spain as a blend of history, legend, and pure invention. It is a Spain of lost kingdoms, mysterious maidens, and forgotten ruins.
Neither version of Spain is much like the one that exists today, and both exhibit the tendency for foreigners to search for the romantic or exotic in faraway lands. In my own modest way, I am contributing to this tradition with my travel writings and my fiction. It is a perilous thing to try to describe a culture that isn’t your own. But it makes me feel a little better to know that another writer from my part of the world made a stab at it, and in the process made a permanent contribution to Spanish literature.
If you enjoyed this article by Roy Lotz, don’t miss Don Bigote, releasing on February 21 with Ybernia Press. This satirical novel reimagines Don Quijote with a sharp, witty take on modern American politics. Visit Ybernia Press’s website to learn more about Roy’s work and discover other great reads.
Explore their online book store: Click here
Image: Ybernia
Main image: Flickr/Juan Carlos Molina Giménez
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