Winesburg, Ohio should be required reading for anyone who wants to understand small town American psyches. Forget TV and Hollywood movies.
I enjoyed the surreal aspect of this book, how the truths we adhere to turn us into grotesques.
The loosely conceived plot focuses mainly on the character of a young man named George Willard and his interactions with various small town characters.
Reading these stories, it makes sense that Sherwood Anderson influenced Hemingway and Faulkner. I was reminded also of Southern Gothic, which has me wondering if Flannery O’Connor and Carson McCullers read Winesburg, Ohio.
As for me, I responded right away to the stories by writing a poem.
Conquering Venus is a tour de force, a breathtaking tapestry of time, space, character, and events. Like Kelley himself, the novel defies labels. It is a psychological novel and a thriller, a love story and a coming of age tale. And although the plot is fast-paced, shifting back and forth in time and in location, the language is sensual and elegant, reflecting Kelley’s skills as a poet.
I’m thrilled to be hosting one of the e-stops on the Conquering Venus Virtual Tour. To celebrate the event, I’ve asked Kelley a few questions about aspects of the novel that hold particular interest for me.
Conquering Venus tackles some very serious social issues, particularly concerning young gay men. Has the climate changed in the US since 1995, the year the story takes place?
The ‘90s were a decade of hope with Bill Clinton in the White House and evolving attitudes toward GLBT people. That decade saw a monumental push toward gay rights and a refusal to go back in the closet. Businesses like Xerox began implementing policies prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and the visibility of GLBT people was off the chart.
After 12 years of tyranny under Reagan and Bush Sr., being gay or bi-sexual had an almost “cool factor” going, and there seemed to be more freedom to explore your sexuality without repercussions. We went back to the dark ages under Bush Jr., which stunted the forward motion for awhile, but I think what happened in the ‘90s paved the way for what we’re seeing now: gay marriage, full civil rights, adoption, etc.
It always feels like two steps forward, one-step back, especially in the last couple of years. The evolution of the Internet has revealed just how much ignorance, bigotry and hate there is, most of it fostered by right wing Christians, who are – pardon the pun – hell bent on shoving their religion down this country’s throat.
The character of David in Conquering Venus represents that awakening in the ‘90s, but also the uncertainty. Does he have the courage to explore his burgeoning sexuality or will he repress because his Christian parents will disown him? On the other hand, Martin is out and proud, despite the tragedies in his life, and refuses to let society dictate his moral values.
One of the themes I found in Conquering Venus is the exploration of different kinds of love, from physical attraction to love that lasts the ages, and how we fall in love with the essence of the person, not merely the outward expression of the body. Would you say a few words about this aspect of the novel?
The relationship between Martin and Irène is, in my opinion, the greatest part of the story. They are platonic soul mates, who have been together in past lives and will forever be linked despite their age difference.Irène is a combination friend/mother/sister for Martin – the ideal woman for a man who is not interested in women. No matter who Martin or Irene wind up with romantically, their bond will never be broken – tested maybe, but not broken.
The relationship between Martin and Diane is a little different. She had an unrequited crush on Martin, so there will always be an unspoken tension between them. That doesn’t mean they aren’t always going to be friends, but it’s more complicated and temperamental. I have friendships like that in my life, so I was writing from experience.
The scenes in Conquering Venus are very cinematic, the street scenes of Paris stunning and vivid. I’ve only been to Paris once, many years ago, but your descriptions made me feel as though I had an intimate knowledge of the city. From reading your blog, Modern Confessional, your poems, and your recent essay about the French actress Jeanne Moreau in My Diva: 65 Gay Men On the Women Who Inspire Them (University of Wisconsin Press), I know you have a longstanding interest in film. How has your love of film shaped your writing style?
Conquering Venus’ first incarnation was in screenplay form, so that has definitely carried over into the novel. I’m drawn to the films by Wim Wenders, Krzysztof Kieslowski, Sally Potter and David Lynch, because they tell these epic, sprawling and sometimes confounding stories. They don’t wrap up their endings in nice little bows or send their characters down expected paths. I look for that in literature, too. Jeanette Winterson, Margaret Atwood, Don DeLillo, Toni Morrison and John Irving write in that same cinemascope, so I drew a lot of inspiration from them.
Are there any plans to bring Conquering Venus to the Silver Screen?
It’s available if there’s any directors or producers out there looking for a big budget art film. It is a trilogy, so it could be the next Harry Potter or Twilight saga. There’s even a little magical realism thrown in and I imagine the cast would be pretty sexy, too.
Speaking of film, if you were to cast the role of Martin, which actor do you think would make a good fit?
I have no idea. I’ve cast Diane, David and Irène in my head, but Martin is the toughest call. River Phoenix would have captured him beautifully I think, but alas… .
There’s a strong dream element in Conquering Venus that speaks to me as a reader. How do dreams influence what you write?
Dreams have always been a catalyst for my writing. Some of the sequences in the novel and many of my poems have been drawn directly from dreams. I have these vivid, Technicolor dreams that are often so realistic that when I wake up, I’m not sure which is the dream world. I’ve met complete strangers in my dreams, people that have no association with people I know in waking life. Sometimes, I feel like I go elsewhere in my dreams, almost like I’m living a double life. I keep expecting Morpheus from The Matrix to show up and ask me to choose the red or blue pill.
Will we see the characters Martin, David, Irène, and Diane in future novels?
Conquering Venus is the first book in a trilogy, so all four will return at some point in the next two books, although when, how and why will probably throw some folks for a loop. It’s even surprised me a bit. These characters are totally writing their own story now; I’m just transcribing it.
Last night I attended the launch of Collin Kelley’s novel, Conquering Venus. (Vanilla Heart Press, 2009). The event took place at Outwrite Books in Atlanta, a perfect setting for the reading because of the intimate arrangement of the seating, the streamer and balloon art installation, and the store crammed with books. Collin read the prologue and the first chapter, keeping us entranced the entire time. He reads with a lot of expression, undoubtedly because of his long experience as a poet. It was a treat to hear his interpretation of the characters – the dialogue is snappy, witty, and irreverent, especially the exchanged between Martin, the protagonist, and Diane, his middle-aged friend.
Afterwards Collin answered questions about how much of the novel is true, what his writing habits are, whether or not there will be more poems in the sequels he is currently writing, and if writing the novel has interfered with his poetry writing. If you’re curious about the answers to these questions, go to one of his many scheduled readings. There will also be a virtual tour in September for those of you who live outside the US.
To read more about Collin Kelley’s novel, visit the blog for Conquering Venus. There’s a video trailer and a preview selection from the novel.
On a personal note, at the reading I saw several poets and writers I’ve met through Collin Kelley: Karen Head, Rupert Fike, Cleo Creech, Megan Volpert, and others. I also had the chance to meet in person the lovely Lisa Allender, whom I had known only through facebook and her blog, Lisa Allender Writes.
Lisa and I spoke with Karen Head about her experience on The Fourth Plinth in London’s Trafalgar Square. We were both impressed with her poise under fire, and her direction of the event. Stay tuned for an article in Time about Karen’s international twitter poetry writing.
It was gratifying to be in a room of writers and readers who so obviously adored the reading. Through his art and his charm, Collin Kelley has the gift of gathering like-minded people together.
Can you hear it? It’s the satisfying pop of champagne corks around the world as readers find their pre-ordered copies ofConquering Venus (Vanilla Heart Publishing, 2009) on their doorsteps. It’s the fabulous debut novel from award winning poet and playwright Collin Kelley.
Stay tuned for his virtual book tour, which will be making a stop at Balanced on the Edge. Congratulations to Collin Kelley for this stunning new work of art.
Fiona Robyn has posted a short poem I wrote for her blog, A Handful of Stones. Each day Fiona posts a different ‘small stone,’ an observation of the world or a fleeting thought or feeling. As Fiona says, “a small stone is a polished moment of paying proper attention.” The one from me she included is called Coiffure. Thanks, Fiona!
Fiona is a poet and a novelist. Her debut novel, The Letters, is now available through Amazon. Her next novel, The Blue Handbag, will be released in August of this year. Both books are with Snowbooks.
Clare Jay’s Breathing in Colour ( Piatkus, Little, Brown Book Group, March 2009) weaves together threads from many disparate areas of life – dreams, travels, the creative mind, family dynamics, memory, and relationships between men and women. The story, which takes place in the UK and India, blends the characters’ dreams into the narrative with seamless artistry, no easy task (which I know from my own experience of including dream imagery in my writing).
Throughout the course of the novel the reader learns about synaesthesia, a condition in which a person perceives sounds or smells as colors, or numbers and certain letters of the alphabet as colors. Both the mother and the daughter in the novel are synaesthetes, and Clare Jay does a superb job describing how the two characters view the world. Jay is not a synaesthete herself, yet she illustrates their world with vivid accuracy, allowing the reader to glimpse what it might be like to have such ultra heightened senses.
I met Clare Jay two years ago at a conference for the International Association for the Study of Dreams, where she told me about the novel she was then writing, her lucid dreams (knowing one is dreaming while in the dream state), and her technique for inducing the writer’s trance, which involves yogic relaxation (she is also a yoga instructor) and the recall of dream imagery. I still remember the character I came up with after attending one of Clare Jay’s workshops involving dreams and creative writing. It was a panther woman who sat at the end of my bed. In fact, I’ve written a poem about the panther woman – she holds a special place in my pantheon of fictional characters.
The characters in Breathing in Colour, both the dream man and the ones who walk the earth, are alive with color, smells, texture, and nuance. They are more than three dimensional because of Jay’s bright, sensitive use of language. It’s like going on a magic carpet ride.
Be sure to visit Clare Jay’s beautiful website and blog, where she has information about her next book, Dreamrunner.
Collin Kelley has just released a new trailer for his forthcoming novel, Conquering Venus. Go have a look, it’s sure to rev your reading engines.
I love video poems, and that’s what Collin’s producer has created. The soundtrack, which wonderfully recreates the mood of the novel, is by Vanessa Daou, from her new album, Joe Sent Me. Vanessa Daou’s work is mentioned in the novel, so having her song as the soundtrack for the video makes for a fitting connection.
Way before the Facebook group Six Degrees of Separation was a twinkle in a blogger’s eye, we used to play the Kevin Bacon game. The idea was that no one was more than five people away from Kevin Bacon, and it worked every time. Example: you know me, and I know my husband, who worked on a film starring Kevin Bacon. So you are only four people away from Kevin. Cool, huh?
The same connection has happened with my writing friend, Clare Jay, who has just released her first novel, Breathing in Colour (Published by Piatkus, Little, Brown Book Group, 2009).
I met Clare two summers ago at a dream conference in Sonoma, California. A few months ago, when I was browsing Louisa Adjoa Parker’s MySpace page, I came across a photo of Clare, whom I recognized immediately because of her red curly hair and pretty eyes. I know Louisa through Jo Hemmant, so I wrote to Jo, who sent my message to Louisa, who wrote to me, and then sent my email to Clare. And now Clare and I have re-connected. I love the internets, don’t you?
Now that you’re connected to Clare, (since you know me), I recommend you visit her blog, read her bio, and order her fascinating novel. On her website you can read about her idyllic life on the beach, her studies of dreams, and her technique for entering the writer’s trance. She also shares inside information about the process of publishing a book. And leave a comment on her blog – I think she’d appreciate a warm welcome to cyber space.
Balanced On the Edge 