My short story collection, Candescent Blooms, was published by Salt Publishing recently.. I've previously posted here with regards to the background to the collection, and the fact that twelve Hollywood actors whose lives ended prematurely are the main characters in each of the twelve stories. As stated in that post, the intention in the run-up to publication is to focus on each actor with some snippets of information (both about them and the writing of their stories). These posts will follow the same format for each. Our seventh character is James Dean.
1: the reason for the title of the story
I think this title just popped into my head. With rumours (only rumours, at the time) over James Dean, Tab Hunter, and Rock Hudson being homosexual, I had the idea of them playing in a band called The Easy Flirtations. It just seemed to set the right tone for the story.
2: why I chose that actor
Like Marilyn Monroe, it would have been impossible not to choose James Dean for this book. Although because it's an obvious choice doesn't make it an obvious story. Meanwhile, I'm sure everyone knows James died in a car crash at the age of 24.
3: one 'gift' that enhanced the story
James played Cal Stark in East of Eden and Jim Trask in Rebel Without A Cause. Stark is an anagram of Trask. It plays into a fear of being typecast.
4: one thing I never knew about them
After James showed the actor, Alec Guinness, his new car, a Porsche 550 Spyder, Guinness warned him never to drive it, stating, If you do get into that car then by this time next week you’ll be dead.
5: an extract from the story
The audience would be non-judgmental. James would sit on a high-chair, the drums gripped by the inside of his knees, the taut skin hit by the knuckly part of his palms before letting his fingers bounce off the head. Between songs he would stand, put both an unlit cigarette and a flaming match into his mouth before then removing a burning cigarette. He’d draw on it, sucking the potentiality of so many ghosts into his lungs, before expelling into the audience, misting the crowd. Then Tab would start on the guitar and Rock would glance around and the three of them would merge once again in an intensity of sound belying the spin of the media that rotated the dulcet tones of his former and future lovers.
6: what music I listened to whilst I wrote it.
Similar to Olive Thomas, I wrote this story listening to the album, Gravity Pulls, by Echobelly on repeat.
Buy Candescent Blooms here.
No comments:
Post a Comment