Mark Z. Danielewski

INTERVIEW

March 10, 2000

Not your ordinary interview...but then again, he's not your ordinary author. Mark Z. Danielewski spent ten years toiling and perfecting his epic book, HOUSE OF LEAVES, which spans over 700 pages. Traditionalists should be forewarned, when you flip through the book, you'll see scattered words, oddly placed columns of text, a plethora of footnotes, and several appendices. There is a story behind the madness, a complex but engaging one about a family who moves into a house only to discover that the house is bigger on the inside than the outside. Join us, if you dare, on a journey into the (sometimes warped, often sarcastic, occasionally offensive) mind of the author while he plays with our sensibilities and challenges the traditional format of the Interview.


BRC: What was the original inspiration for HOUSE OF LEAVES?

MZD: It was either the time I was walking through an onion field and the clouds suddenly parted over me and all these pigs began singing and waltzing around and there was this sword that kinda looked like a pen floating midair bathed in the light of ages or it was the time I stubbed my toe. Probably the stubbed toe. Hurt like hell.

BRC: Why did it take ten years to write?

MZD: I'm an extremely fast writer.

BRC: Did you write it in a long stream or did you do each part (the manuscript, the transcript, the story) as a separate section?

MZD: I tried writing once in a long stream but the paper got wet. Indelible ink helped. So did waders. But my fingers got cold. Also, the fish distracted me. Not because they were swimming by me but because they were floating. Upside down. I eventually opted for a dry area. Along with the usual stuff. Desk, paper, a propane torch. It's weird though, every now and then I miss that stream. I miss the cold water. I don't miss the floating fish. They scared me.

BRC: What is the thing that most frightens you?

MZD: Dying.

BRC: Do you think that fear can destroy someone's life, literally?

MZD: Sure, fear can destroy your life, but there's no question dying ruins your whole day.

BRC: Are you prone to sleeplessness due to bad dreams?

MZD: Bad dreams are up there but they have to come in second to sleeplessness due to "not sleeping." That's gotta come in first.

BRC: Are you a big fan of Quantum physics?

MZD: Huge. I've gone to every show. Though it's tricky because you're never sure where they're playing, what time they're going on, or whether or not they're going to appear as a band or just be their song. It gets mighty confusing at times. But they do rock. I've also heard this group called Super String has been opening up for them a lot. Quite a few people think they're the real thing. We'll see.

BRC: How do you think scientists would approach the storyline of the mutating house?

MZD: Are we talking chemists, botanists, engineers or mathematicians? A physicist I know says he's been living in my house for years now. I think he's crazy. No one's living in my house. Not even me. I don't even have a house.

BRC: How did the collaboration with your sister, the singer-songwriter Poe, come about? Have you both always wanted to collaborate on something together?

MZD: It's not so much a collaboration as it is that we are both veterans of the same war. The same battle. In fact we're the only survivors. The hitch is my sister has to convey what happened through song. Me, I started out trying to convey what happened using a can opener. (She's the brighter one.) When that didn't work I moved on to a novel. Which was lucky. Though I have to say --- and take my word on this --- novels aren't much good when you need to open a can of soup.

BRC: What's the scariest book you've ever read?

MZD: Fowler's Modern English Usage.

BRC: What's the scariest film?

MZD: Babe.

BRC: What's your most terrifying real-life moment?

MZD: Too terrifying to tell.

BRC: What was the role of your editor in the rewriting of the book, once you signed on with Pantheon?

MZD: Administered all necessary medications.

BRC: Do you think it could be adapted into a film? Would you allow someone to make a mock film version of the documentary?

MZD: The film rights are not for sale.

BRC: What's your next project? How much of a rest do you need after finishing something like this?

MZD: A great deal of rest. Then of course, I have to finish the rest.

BRC: Bret Easton Ellis compares you to Pynchon, Ballard, Stephen King and David Foster Wallace. Please comment.

MZD: Ah, yes the quote. I recently met Mr. Ellis for the first time and we had long chat about it. There have been consequences. We went over them very carefully. For instance, David Foster Wallace wrote me this novella pointing out how he would never choke though might sputter; never bow but could genuflect if such action was deemed a medical necessity; and would not laugh, only chuckle and perhaps giggle, especially giggle as he has no intention of reading my book. Ever.

King called me up to say that thanks to the accident bowing was out of the question. And in this respect he was truly very, very thankful. Pynchon of course plans to go yet again on the Jerry Springer show, this time to discuss the matter of that "fucking quote" and that "bloody Desdentado." Ballard? Well, who's to say.

hen of course there's Mr. Ellis's bit about HOL rendering "most other fiction meaningless." The meaning of "most other" is currently being debated in the Vatican. Apparently there's a lot of "hurling of sharp objects" going on.

Pantheon was planning to publish an HOL reader. Now though it seems they are first going to publish a reader for Mr. Ellis's blurb. The bad news is that it will be quite long. (The "most other" question takes up four thousand pages.) The good news is that Mr. Ellis has agreed to provide another blurb.

BRC: Thank you.

MZD: No, thank you. You've been great. I'll be here all week.

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