María Luque: All the beauty hidden in the life of a retired teacher

Budín del cielo (Sigilo) is the new book by María Luque , a cartoonist, editorial illustrator and writer from Rosario , in which she narrates part of the daily life of Rosa, a retired teacher who taught mathematics to “her little pigeons”, and now dedicates herself to watching the pigeons from the balcony, or the parakeets among the araucarias in the park from her deck chair arranged in the shape of a scalene triangle; to chatting with her neighbor Norma or with her plants, and to embarking on a journey with some of her former students because one of the group members, Margarita, presents a book whose protagonist, Miss Violeta, is inspired by Miss Rosa; that is, by her.

Luque was also the author of The Painter's Hand (Sigilo, 2016), Transparent House (Sexto Piso, 2017) –winner of the first Ibero-American Cities graphic novel prize– Foam (Galería, 2018) and Painters' News (Sigilo, 2019).

“ Pudín del cielo was born from the character of Rosa,” the author tells Clarín . “For some time now , I've been wanting to think of a story with a retired teacher as its protagonist . The character is inspired by my great-aunt Roma, who told me time and again about her memories of her classes and her students. I think Rosa is the woman I would like to be in the future,” she reflects.

“Mathematics exists only in the imagination: it can't be seen, but it can be drawn. That's why I asked for so many graphs, to give the numbers form,” says Rosa, who finds geometric figures and drawings everywhere . “The elliptical orbit around the administrator was filled with horrible ideas. They said the pigeons were dirty, but deep down, I think they were talking about me. The administrator was the Sun, and the neighbors became planets revolving around her,” she says at one point about a consortium meeting. Below, as occurs on various pages of the book, appears the illustration that accompanies the story .

“They're different languages, although at their core, they both serve the same purpose: telling stories,” Luque explains. “ Drawing is more corporal ; drawing involves multiple muscles, and it can even cause back pain or muscle spasms. I can draw alone or with people, while talking or listening to conversations. Writing, on the other hand, is an activity that happens in silence , even if I'm in a noisy café. For writing, I find the times of day when the sun is gone useful; for drawing, I prefer natural light. Drawing has become my work, and sometimes I struggle to find emotion there because I feel I handle it with skill and confidence. Writing gives me more vertigo, and I love that feeling .”

Luque began writing Pudding of Heaven during the final stages of the pandemic, when he spent many afternoons in the park observing the flowers and listening to the birds. “I discovered that the benteveo I saw one day was the same one from the previous afternoon,” he says.

“I began to notice where the nests were, I watched them communicate with each other, I tried to understand their movements, and I took notes. It seemed to me that Rosa could be the ideal character to decipher these intrigues that nature generated in me. One day I went to lunch with my parents, and they showed me an old recipe book from my grandmother . When I read the recipe for heavenly pudding, when I heard that name, something clicked. I never got to taste that dessert she made, but my dad remembered how delicious it was. It condensed everything that history, still unformed, needed in my imagination: many ingredients that individually mean nothing, but together can become a delicious dessert.”