It’s isolating, and it’s hard for other people to understand. I mean, the whole concept of art is inherently a bit violent, right? You’re taking something from your brain, your soul, and your heart, and you’re putting it out into the world for people to consume or ignore or deride. That’s a violent act, in and of itself. It’s a violent act to make and it’s a violent act to receive. It’s a lot of violence, and I think you have to have a bit of that “young god” complex to survive it. But it can definitely be dangerous and destructive if it’s not kept in check.
Absolutely. Speaking of violence, Sabine is being stalked by the Rembrandt Man, this figure that’s both terrifying and absurd. What made you want to include this element in the story?
I was being stalked when I was writing this book. I had this person who was sending me emails and letters and following me around, and I just couldn’t shake them. It was really intense, and it was really scary. And at the same time, I was reading about Carolee Schneeman, this amazing feminist performance artist who was also stalked. Her stalker would send her all these letters and packages, and she would take them and incorporate them into her art. She would turn this violence into something beautiful and powerful. And I thought that was so incredible, and I wanted to explore that idea in my own work. So I created the character of the Rembrandt Man, this figure who’s both terrifying and absurd, and who forces Sabine to confront her own fears and vulnerabilities. It was a way for me to process my own experience of being stalked, and to turn that violence into something creative and transformative.
That’s really powerful. It’s amazing how art can be a way to process and heal from trauma. And speaking of trauma, Sabine’s relationship with her husband is strained throughout the book, partly because of her own ego and obsession with her art. How did you approach writing about their relationship?
I wanted to explore the idea of how art can both bring people together and tear them apart. Sabine and her husband are both passionate and creative people, but they express that passion in very different ways. Sabine is consumed by her art, to the point where it’s almost a form of madness for her. And her husband, who is a chef, is also consumed by his own creativity and his own passions. They’re both so focused on their own work that they struggle to connect with each other. Their relationship becomes strained and fractured, and they both have to confront their own egos and insecurities in order to find a way back to each other. It was a really interesting dynamic to explore, and I think it adds another layer of complexity to the story.
Absolutely. It’s a really rich and complex story, with so many layers and themes. What do you hope readers will take away from Woo Woo?
I hope that readers will be entertained and engaged by the story, first and foremost. I want them to laugh and gasp and maybe even cry a little. But I also hope that they’ll be challenged and provoked by the ideas and themes in the book. I want them to think about the nature of art and creativity, about the intersection of ego and vulnerability, about the power of transformation and healing. I hope that Woo Woo will inspire readers to reflect on their own relationships with art and with themselves, and maybe even to see the world in a slightly different way. Ultimately, I just want people to enjoy the ride and come away feeling like they’ve experienced something new and exciting. That’s all I can ask for as a writer.
I think what I wanted to explore with Sabine and her friends making this kind of art is how personal and subjective art can be. It doesn’t always have to make sense to everyone else, as long as it means something to the artist. It’s about expression and creativity, not necessarily about appealing to a mass audience or making a profit. It’s about the process of creating, the act of making something out of nothing, and the emotional and psychological impact it can have on the artist. I think that’s what I wanted to convey with their various art projects in the book.
Realmente me gusta el lugar donde el feminismo y el arte performático se intersectan, en los años 60 o 70. Creo que se presta a lo ridículo, pero en su núcleo, es una forma de arte política.
Me encanta cuando Carolee le dice a Sabine una noche: “Solo deja entrar la idea de que los artistas, por su propia naturaleza, son violentos”. ¿Estás de acuerdo?
¡100%!
¡De verdad! ¿Por qué?
Siento que el acto de hacer arte es un proceso constante de destrucción y creación, y siempre tienes que estar eliminando buenas y malas ideas, arruinando trabajos, tirando cosas a la basura, literalmente descartando todo un manuscrito, tal vez obtener 10,000 palabras de 70,000. Es una devastación de ideas y contenido. Siento que es un proceso violento. No necesariamente físico, pero la forma en que piensan las personas creativas, las profundidades a las que se permiten ir en su psique más oscura: tienes que explorar esas partes de ti mismo para hacer buen arte. Es un espacio violento a veces. Yo lo creo, ¿tú lo crees?
Cuando leí esa línea por primera vez, supe que quería preguntarte al respecto.
Y la forma en que tienes esta colección de avatares que creas caos dentro. Eres como un dios benevolente —o malévolo, a veces. Es este universo que arruinas y destruyes. Y también hay mucha belleza en ello.
Los títulos de los capítulos son todas citas de poemas, pinturas, exposiciones y libros. ¿Cuéntame un poco sobre cómo los seleccionaste y qué te inspiró a ponerlos en el libro? ¿Estaban emparejados con capítulos específicos?
Sí, lo estaban —cada título de capítulo es el tono, si miras la obra de arte o escuchas la pieza de música. Tenía un documento en mi computadora lleno de toda la obra de arte, el triple de lo que se menciona en el libro. Era solo una forma de sumergirme en la novela: cada vez que iba a escribir, miraba toda la obra de arte, escuchaba las canciones, me transformaba en la atmósfera. Creó este mausoleo de Woo Woo para escribir, y realmente lo necesitaba, ya que escribí gran parte de ello en la pandemia cuando estaba bastante separado del arte. No podía ir a espectáculos, y me hubiera encantado estar yendo a ver piezas de arte performático mientras escribía esto; eso habría sido lo ideal, pero simplemente no estaba disponible. La cantidad de contenido que he absorbido de Carolee Schneemann es increíble —estaba completamente obsesionado con ella durante un período decente de cuatro meses. Sentí que la novela también lo necesitaba. Sigue el estado mental de [Sabine], y el arte lo empujó en direcciones a las que quería que fuera, era como una serie de flechas.
Finalmente, ¿qué sigue? ¿Estás trabajando en algo más en este momento?
Me estoy metiendo en la escritura de guiones y haciendo cosas para cine y televisión. Ahí es donde estoy apuntando ahora. Y tengo un tercer libro en marcha, pero aún no he tenido tiempo de llenarme de ideas y energía para él. Al final de Woo Woo estaba tan agotado, era un saco de piel. Así que solo tengo que reformarme para poder escribir otro.
Woo Woo ya está disponible.