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Richard Perez Laughter Can Save Your Life
Through the personals Martin meets Nikki, the kindred spirit and true friend who is romantically unattainable. He struggles to understand his relationship with her, with rejections of his poetry, and with boredom in his day job, but readers will care most about the way his spirit keeps bouncing back. Perez finds humor in Martin's misadventures, and brings them to life with specific details and a refreshing tone. Whether you are over sixty and live in the heartland or a teen in downtown Manhattan, you'll find a unique and entertaining look at life in this well-told tale. In the interview below Perez talks about his unique journey with this story. LG: Tell us about yourself. When did you know that writing was in your blood? RP: Like most people, I was influenced by the very intimate, yet strangely universal experiences I had with books. As a teenager, feeling alienated and rebellious, I grew attached to what some people might call outsider fiction, literature that reflected a sense of alienation with traditional values and our culture of materialism. These outsider authors included Henry Miller, Jack Kerouac, and Charles Bukowski, writers who, even in this day, are generally held in low esteem by the formal literati, the academics. To me, these outsider authors not only questioned traditional values, they questioned traditional ways of expression, which thrilled me, naturally. LG: Martin Sierra is sad, funny, and sympathetic. How did you discover and him? Have you incorporated parts of yourself or others in him? RP: In my younger days, feeling like a weirdo, I was always drawn to misfits. So I usually gravitated toward areas where such people congregated. One of these areas in New York City is the Lower East Side, more popularly known as the East Village. Like the main character in THE LOSERS' CLUB, when I wasn't trying to earn a measly living, I was usually downtown, slumming, and these experiences became part of my personal history, which of course I began to reference and write from. Along the way, I met other creative types, and these people also contributed to my worldview and the story that was taking shape. Ultimately, it's important to understand that the characters -- including the main character of Martin (which is obviously based on myself) -- are all composites. In fact, it may sound a little corny, but before I sat down to write The Losers' Club , I actually taped a handwritten sign over my monitor, which read: USE HUMOR!! DON'T STICK TO THE FACTS!!! I did this to remind myself that fiction writers, unlike journalists, aren't obligated to transcribe events literally; fiction writers need to give themselves plenty of leeway to make changes and have fun! I'm glad I adhered to those principles. Part of communicating is staying focused and not taking the other (imaginary) person's attention for granted. In other words, you need to remember that the extent to which you're entrusted with that other person attention -- you're also entertaining them. So it's important to be a good host, so to speak. Keep things lively and fun for your guest. Humor is of major importance to me, especially in dealing with such downer themes as rejection and loneliness. LG: How much research was needed to make the experiences in clubs and with the Vox Personals resonate so effectively? RP: The fun thing about choosing to write a book -- even a fictional one -- is that you give yourself the excuse of having to research the topic. So, knowing I'd be writing about the downtown clubs and personal ads scene, I gave myself permission to fully indulge in those subcultures. So, in many ways, by choosing to write about it, I was able to actually live it. And, although I felt a bit self-conscious at first, I told myself I was on a mission; therefore I had to stick with it. And, after a while, I went from being a note-taker, an observer to being a full participant; I crossed the threshold, so to speak. And, along the way, I also engaged in life. And had fun. That sense of fun also infects the novel, I hope. LG: I love your wit and humor. Any advice for blending humor and desperation? RP: Humor can act as a shield, a way of protecting yourself -- both as a person and a writer -- from certain harsh realities. We all know that a writer's life is very harsh, full of money problems and rejection and, often, isolation. Humor is a survival mechanism that can help us get through it all. In one short story, Charles Bukowski wrote how he intended to finally do himself in, kill himself, but first he wanted to know what day it was, so he passed by a drugstore and there outside was a newspaper rack that provided the date as well as this surprise headline in huge block letters: MILTON BERLE'S COUSIN HIT ON THE HEAD BY A FALLING ROCK. At first, he didn't get it, he kept re-reading the headline. As Bukowski writes, Of all the important things that happened in the world, this was their headline. Then, of course, he started laughing: he couldn't help himself -- and that laughter was like a safety rope that pulled him back into the world and scattered his demons. And I'm convinced of it: laughter can save your life! LG: I know parts of the novel were published as shorter pieces. What was your writing process for this book? RP: The long process of writing THE LOSERS' CLUB included note taking and writing scenes out of chronological order. Often scenes that appeared later in the book came first, and as I accumulated enough scenes I began to piece it all into a kind of order and to impose structure. Structure is the hardest part for me. I love to write but writing within the confines of a structured narrative requires a certain maturity and discipline -- and that can sometimes be a drag. The biggest drag, of course, comes in writing the book and realizing, early on, that certain parts don't fit and other parts are quite bad -- and need to be tossed or extensively re-written. Once the glow and exhilaration of the first draft is gone, the honeymoon is over and the real work of the marriage begins. That can sometimes be tough. An author needs to keep it fresh somehow, occasionally step away so he can later view it more objectively and appreciatively. And like in any marriage, there are up and downs -- times when you just want to chuck it; and somehow you need to be able to survive that, not allow yourself to simply give up. You do this by reminding yourself how IMPORTANT it is it's like an act of self-hypnosis, you need to keep repeating it to yourself: This is importantthis is important. I am a writer. I am a writer. And, eventually, you begin to believe it. And belief is everything! Along with laughter and self-forgiveness, belief and faith are your major allies on this earth. LG: Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience with us. One more question, where can people find copies of The Loser's Club: Complete Restored Edition?
LG: Thanks for sharing your story and keeping those directions simple. Richard Perez has a recent headline article in the New York Times. |
B. Lynn Goodwin is the editor of WriterAdvice, http://www.writeradvice.com and contributes author interviews and book reviews to it. She writes book reviews for the Small Press Review and web site reviews for the California Writers Club, has been published in the Oakland Tribune and the Contra Costa Times, and has a piece called Needed in the Winter issue of Flashquake. |
If you know of New York City's East Village by reputation only, the name probably conjures up images of risk-taking artists with multiple piercings who hang out at clubs that serve until dawn. Though they look hip, the day-to-day lives of these flamboyant thrill seekers are often lonely. Martin Sierra fits right in. The poet who narrates The Losers' Club: Complete Restored Edition lives on dreams, disappointment, and the downtown Personals. 
RP: In the interest of keeping things simple I highly recommend that folks go straight to Amazon.com or Barnes&Noble.Com, where they can buy the book with one single click. 