Long Litt Woon gives me a nice interview (Malaysia,1958) after his promotional stint in Spain. His name is Chinese, hence “Long” It's his last name, y “Litt Woon” your name. Long has published The mushroom hunter (Maeva), a memoir that has had a great impact on how to overcome the loss of a loved one thanks to mycology. Long is an anthropologist and mushroom expert. He moved to Norway as an exchange student and there he met Eiolf Olsen, who he married and created a home with. We thank the Maeva publishing house for the possibility of interviewing the author, who currently lives in Oslo, and especially to Aitana Mendioroz for her interpretation work. GINÉS J. VERA
Having to sit down to write this book and remember Eiolf's anecdotes and experiences, What did it mean to you emotionally??
The book practically started out as a mushroom book., It was like this for many chapters. In the middle of that writing I wondered where I was going to put Eiolf in this book.. So, then I started writing, not about Eiolf, but about the loss of my husband. Then I realized that this was a book of two journeys, not just a trip. From an external trip where an anthropologist discovers the world of mushrooms and everything that involves collecting mushrooms, and then an inner journey and what is the environment of grief. I didn't start it thinking about Eiolf, about my husband.
Going out to collect mushrooms, contact with nature, Can new motivations arise during the work of overcoming grief?, fresh perspectives and perhaps provide a new meaning to life in the grieving person?
Yeah, It's what I did and what the book is about, It's how these two journeys are connected.. On one side, with mushrooms I experienced happiness, when I was going to look for mushrooms, the first time I saw them, It was the first time after my husband died. So it was like the first connection and, of course, learn about mushrooms and make new friends, friends who like mushrooms too, go to new places for me, not only in Norway, but also outside, like for example in New York, or in Spain. So it was like a second connection between those two worlds.. And the third thing is, of course, the feelings, the senses. When my husband died I didn't want to eat, I didn't understand a number of things, but the identification of mushrooms needs and requires that you be concentrated with all your senses, Somehow I can say that mushrooms woke me up.
He talks to us in the book, in one of the chapters, that mushroom poisoning fascinates many people. It's more, There is a widespread belief that a simple piece of poisonous mushroom implies a dramatic and almost immediate death.. But it's not like that, tell us about it.
Yeah, I thought that before too, that's why there is that chapter in the book, I also thought that you ate poisonous mushrooms and fell and died.. But then I understood that there are very poisonous mushrooms that everyone agrees are very poisonous., but there are also many mushrooms in a gray area, that is not known; For example, In the book I talk about some mushrooms that are eaten in Norway., which we think are amazing, but then a mycologist who came from France did not want to eat these mushrooms. There are national attitudes towards this type of mushrooms. In Norway we have a border with Sweden and some mushrooms are eaten and they are not eaten and others they are eaten and in Norway they are not eaten.. We have national attitudes and then individual attitudes. In the book I write about people who would pick the mushroom from the bottom and then there are others who prefer to pick mushrooms only in the forests.. There are people who see mushrooms that are near the roads and do not pick them because they say there is pollution.. So, this poison thing is something complicated.
Includes some recipes with mushrooms in the final part of the book. From a cake to a pâté and even an ice cream. Let us know about this culinary inclusion in your book.
In Norway we only fry mushrooms in butter, not in oil, salt and pepper and that's it. And nothing more is done. But the flavor of mushrooms, for example, does not mean that you have to add salt., you can take them in other directions such as towards desserts. Some mushrooms taste sweeter., more like nuts or dried fruits, I describe one in the book, la ‘candy cup’, What mushrooms do I suggest for desserts?.
With the publication of this confessional book, have you wanted in some way to help other people overcome the work of grieving after a traumatic loss??
It wasn't my intention when I wrote it., For me it is important to separate this from grief., I think you have to think of the book as a loss or an existential life crisis that affects your identity.. It could be something like losing a job., loss of health, a divorce, etc. A crisis that affects your identity, and then you have to think who am I right now, because not only did you lose this important thing, but you have also lost your old identity, who are you. If some people believe that the book is a book of faith, of hope, it makes me happy, That people think that makes me happy, but it wasn't in my plans when I wrote it. Yes, I have seen that in some book stores it is in the self-help section..
