Last January the always lovely Miss Sara Rosen sent me a copy of powerHouse’s Spring/Summer 2009 catalogue. While I typically find their roster pretty stellar, one book in particular intrigued me: Pillage, the début novel from Brantly Martin. I figured if Sara was behind it, it had to be good, and lo and behold, I wasn’t disappointed.
Pillage revolves around a crew of young, downtown-dwelling Manhattanites occasioned to excess. Cracula, the protagonist, is canny, disillusioned, depraved and ultimately, very human. We see things from his perspective, and that vantage point vacilates, easily, between reality and fantasy.
I spoke with Martin via email. Here’s what he had to say:
At one point you were pretty firmly enmeshed in the New York nightlife scene, a host at and patron of some of the city’s most popular clubs. Fast forward. Now you’re a happily married, published writer living in Rome. What happened in the interim?
I’m not sure if interims exist. The wheels were always in motion, sometimes spinning. I think it’s safe to say I was a fixture (sometimes an illustrious ca’ rezzonico providing the dim light, sometimes a dilapidated cuckoo clock from the black forest) in the 10:00 PM to 4:00 AM circuit for almost a decade. It was great until it wasn’t. Even then it was something. I’m annoyed when friends (quasi or otherwise) that used to work in, hang out at, or frequent New York illusions of the night in any capacity feel the need to distance and bash, past tense it though they are vampires and it’s The Middle Ages they speak of. As jobs go, it was much better than selling roasted corn in a flea market off Eldridge in northwest Houston during 110 degree summers (or sitting in an over air-conditioned office feigning interest in energy trading software). I’m from as middle-class America as it gets. I saw a great deal of the U.S. growing up (unlike most born and bred New Yorkers) but there were no European vacations on our schedule, know what I mean? Over the past nine years I’ve covered a great deal of the Earth, made some of those rare life long friends. I’ve also had the pleasure of hanging with the most seedy, disreputable, scheming, conniving, hustling (yet charming) snakes in the world. And yeah. Now I’m married to a lovely woman and living in Rome.
From what I’ve gathered, the Cracula character was based loosely (or not so) upon you. How much of what transpires in the book was true to life?
I can tell you that it’s not me. The closest parts to reality are the out and out fantasy bits (slicing tongues off, visiting alien planets, flying over Manhattan). Some of the dinner conversations are pretty accurate, not even I can make up the depths we plunge to find common ground and get what we want from our neighbors.
To me it’s complete fiction. Even if someone were to attempt to recreate exact scenes from 5, 10 years ago they would be unable to do so (and often are). Ultimately, the writing is good or it isn’t. Period. The story is the least interesting thing to me. A few people had some comments on how they were depicted and none of these folks were even a slight inspiration for characters (or have read a novel in the past 10 years).
Because the book centers so much around one city, as well as a very small subset of its population, do you think readers outside of New York will enjoy it as much as those privy to the scene?
Good question. Could go either way. If you enjoy writing for writing (and you enjoy the style of PILLAGE) then perhaps you’ll dig it more. If you need reference points to guide you through and spot your imagination, maybe not. Again, I find the story/plot the least interesting part of novels (though I suspect I’m not in the majority on this). More than the city or scene, I’m finding that people are having a problem with the dialect and colloquialisms. I’m also finding that some people are enjoying that aspect. So I suppose my answer is: I have no idea. If you’re someone who enjoys fiction these things are never a problem. If you can only process glorified press releases then you might be frustrated.
Reading ‘Pillage I was reminded of Bret Easton Ellis, particularly his ability to prompt simultaneous feelings of envy and revulsion in the reader. Have people expressed similar reactions to you?
Some have, though I don’t see that at all (the Ellis thing). (Note: Re: Ellis–I was thinking Glamorama or Lunar Park as opposed to say, Less Than Zero or American Psycho). There are some bits where people are eating at downtown New York restaurants, perhaps on their way to downtown New York clubs…other than that, I don’t see any similarities. Though I haven’t read so much of him. From what I recall his presentation of words is more justified, classic. Hopefully the style of PILLAGE is its own. I think that’s the point. I have gotten some intense reactions, they seem to be ambiguous though, perhaps fermenting later into envy, revulsion, or whatever else…those expressed to me have been more scattered and confused. Living in Rome I’m a bit insulated to those gut reactions I’d get by walking down Spring Street.
Have you got anything else in the works right now?
I’m working on a book of short stories and on a Science Fiction novel set in the not so distant future. The shorts seemed to have won out for now, putting the Aliens on ice for a bit. But that could change, or merge.
+Sarah
Cover photo courtesy of powerHouse Books; Author photo courtesy of Brantly Martin.
07/02/2009 at 3:54 am
fiction, non-fiction: that is the question. or is it? I couldn’t care less when it comes to a well written book. if it’s convincing and it nails it. PILLAGE is beyond reality — that’s for sure.
if there is such a thing.
07/02/2009 at 7:26 am
Fab. Martin needs to keep working on the aliens one! After devouring Pillage, I need another fix.
07/28/2009 at 8:26 am
Hi, interest post. I’ll write you later about few questions!
http://www.worshipworthy.com - cool!!!!