My texts have and will always be full of personal rather cultural symbolism and references. Here I will jot down all those little references and explain their hidden significance/meaning.
It was the night that they set the river on fire...: The first line of the novel is a reference to Millenium night where a fire display on the river Thames ended in farce and failure with part of the river going up in flames. Millenium Eve/New Millenium will not be mentioned throughout the entire book.
Millenium Eve/New millenium: The novel begins on millenium eve(though it is never stated. That day has a highly personal significance as it was the worst night of my existence, a time where I so badly wanted to not be alive. My wife had shot through and left me in London with no contact, I had descended into heroin and crack cocaine addiction and gotten sick earlier that day, and just a few days prior I had found the dead body of my best friend in our shared maisonette. As the world celebrated that night I lay on my bed, crying hysterically, as the most fantastic fireworks exploded across the skies. To such unhappiness the world screamed and cheered and partied. I only survived those days due to heroin ("it cured me as it killed me")
Spieswinkel (original name of the character) was the surname of my partner Anne who up and left due to my drug addiction and my asking for 200 euros too much. Was one of three great loves and influences of my life. Not great enough to get clean or even consider it, but still...
Blackhouse: A fictional reference to the Blackhouse of my youth. A squat/flophouse where my mother spent her days drinking and where as a young boy I would meet a host of bizarre and half-crazed characters including 2 of the 3 poets of my life.
It was the night that they set the river on fire...: The first line of the novel is a reference to Millenium night where a fire display on the river Thames ended in farce and failure with part of the river going up in flames. Millenium Eve/New Millenium will not be mentioned throughout the entire book.
Millenium Eve/New millenium: The novel begins on millenium eve(though it is never stated. That day has a highly personal significance as it was the worst night of my existence, a time where I so badly wanted to not be alive. My wife had shot through and left me in London with no contact, I had descended into heroin and crack cocaine addiction and gotten sick earlier that day, and just a few days prior I had found the dead body of my best friend in our shared maisonette. As the world celebrated that night I lay on my bed, crying hysterically, as the most fantastic fireworks exploded across the skies. To such unhappiness the world screamed and cheered and partied. I only survived those days due to heroin ("it cured me as it killed me")
Spieswinkel (original name of the character) was the surname of my partner Anne who up and left due to my drug addiction and my asking for 200 euros too much. Was one of three great loves and influences of my life. Not great enough to get clean or even consider it, but still...
Blackhouse: A fictional reference to the Blackhouse of my youth. A squat/flophouse where my mother spent her days drinking and where as a young boy I would meet a host of bizarre and half-crazed characters including 2 of the 3 poets of my life.
I've just come here from the link on your blog and am looking forward to reading what you have written so far. Really glad you're keeping busy, doing what you do best. When you don't post as often, I understand why, but I miss you. Even if I've already read the whole novel, if (sorry, when) it gets published, I will most definitely buy a copy and also encourage others to do so too. Hope you are doing ok. Take care. With love, your loyal and faithful reader/friend, Gina x
ReplyDelete