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Blag from The Dwarves talks about his novel 'Nina'

posted by: David on 8 April 2009

Blag Dahlia, Blag Jesus, Blag The Ripper. Mom calls him Paul. A man with many names and many talents. He has a way with words. Besides destroying stages all around the globe with the amazing Dwarves and producing and writing hits for others, he also writes books. And good books too! Bootsman got in touch with him about his latest novel "Nina". Nina is 15 and a little bit different compared to your little sister.

When you started writing about Nina, was it always the idea to write a novel instead of a couple of short stories? It seemed to me the coming of age accelerated much faster in the second part of the book.

It wasn’t a planned move on my part. I have never used an outline to write, I just see where it goes and sometimes it makes for a pretty retarded ‘arc’. The idea was always a novel in a commercial sense because short stories are unjustly ignored anyway.

When I bought the book, you told me that this was less abstract than Armed To Teeth With Lipstick, your previous book. Every "scene" in Nina is has a very detailed description. The pages are filled with adjectives and insights. To me, it is one of the strong points about this book. Is it something that you look for in a book when you read one yourself?

That is what I look for, but one thing I was determined not to do in NINA, was to psychologise the main character. I didn’t want there to be a specific reason why she was so shitty to people. I think the old “she was molested and that explains everything” trope was a bit overused. My mind is not terribly visual either so I don’t try to describe people’s clothes or houses or cars too specifically since I don’t really register those things myself.



Was there somebody you had in mind when you brought Nina West to life?

The horny suburban high school girls I grew up with in Illinois. They were hilarious with tragic overtones.

Are any of the actions or experiences somehow related to your own personal life on and off stage?

Yes, a lot of them are. More in the way that NINA is super aggressive and amoral. People criticized me for not getting into the head of a 15 year old girl, but I was more interested in talking about myself through her.

Sex and violence are almost the same in Nina's mind, "..as long as you're not on the receiving end of it.". This makes her strong and independent. Do you think that every girl should read this book to cope with puberty and society's expectations? Do you consider her to be a positive role-model?

I do in a sense, but of course that will look self-serving and bullshit, but it’s the truth. My hope was that girls would rally around the character who gives as good as she gets in a male dominated society. Mostly though, it was interpreted as a dirty old man’s fantasy. The irony there is that my fantasies don’t involve super independent sadistic conniving young girls so much as ...young girls. I hope this character becomes a hero for women, but I’m not holding my breath.

It's difficult not to like Nina. No matter what her actions are, you can always sympathize with her. Maybe because everybody has something against authority figures and the oppression they stand for? That it is ok to fuck over teachers, priests, cops and partners. What do you think?

I can only speak for myself. I wanted to make her likable in the way people like people that they can’t stand. I could see a lot of more conventionally ‘positive’ people hating NINA jut because she is so amoral, but then again, they would hate themselves if they were me and it’s my book!

Did you read the French novel Baise Moi by Virginie Despentes? The main characters in that book started using violence and sex after they experienced something terrible in their lives. Every action has anger behind it. Unlike Nina who seems to use it to gain or keep control or power. Is that a conclusion you can live with?

I am not familiar with the book you mention, but I’ll try and check it out. NINA has not suffered, that’s why her acting out is less acceptable than a character who has been through something terrible. But existence itself is terrible for reasons we can’t understand. How about some equal time for the pampered, self indulgent assholes out there? NINA reminds me of Catherine Deneuve in Repulsion. It’s not as much about wanting to gain and keep power as it is just being disgusted by the basic humanity of others. Why are they here? Why am I here?

So how does a healthy young guy, age 42, write a book about a distorted 15-year old girl?

I wrote the book when I was married and it was a substitute for sex. Of course, I also used sex as a substitute for sex as well. I never got in to the head of a teenage girl. I’m not particularly fetish-y either, nor am I patient enough to actually interview and take notes on what 15 year old girls are like. They should be more interested in me than I am in them because after all, I’m more interesting than they are for the most part.

Would you rather be a respected novelist or a rich musician? What do you consider yourself to be foremost?

It would be nice to be a respected novelist and to get the respect I deserve as a Rock Legend. Being rich also has its rewards although most people would do better to control the consumption side of their economics more than the production side if they want to be happy and have neat stuff. Both novelists and musicians and all artists are communicators first. The degree I do that well.. all arts are open to my interest. Except rhythmic gymnastics, I’ll leave that to the pros.

Any plans for a new book? And how can we get the old ones?

The best place to get Blag Dahlia books, Dwarves records and all kinds of great free videos, MP3’s, dirty pictures and a history of the best band ever is at www.thedwarves.com. Or you can badger your local bookseller to get hip and start carrying my shite!

The new book I’m working on is much different than NINA. It’s about a right wing radio DJ who has to face himself. There isn’t as much sex by a long shot, but I hope it’s appealing in other ways.

To close things off, could the entire Dwarves discography be described as the soundtrack to Nina's life?

No, punk rock is too emotional for NINA. I see her more as a French new wave or SoCal goth type. Or one of those chicks with no records at all who just reads magazines and looks at the hairstyles.


Interview by Bootsman.
Pictures taken from the interwebz.

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Related bandprofile: The Dwarves

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Comments

Author	Message
VH	Posted on 08.04.2009 (16:13) goto top
	Zeer gaaf boek, vorig jaar op tour opgepikt. En laten signeren. Dat doe je nou eenmaal wel met boeken.
Freek	Posted on 08.04.2009 (21:49) goto top
	Godver!

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