Interview

Crazy bitch verovert literatuurland

Astrid leesta_1

De nieuwe literaire vuilbek is een vrouw. Eén blik op de recente boekenoogst en een mens komt tot die conclusie. De nieuwe generatie vrouwelijke hoofdpersonages is grofgebekt en stoer. Wat boeit ons in heldinnen met een opgefokte seksdrive en een labiele geest? Ik vraag het aan auteur Sarah Denoo.

De charmant onzekere chick lit heldin is dood – and it’s the Crazy Bitch that killed her.

Internationale bestsellers geven al een tijdje dat signaal (zie onder) en met de publicatie in 2013 van Verloren Maandag van Valerie Eyckmans (uitgeverij Vrijdag) en Hardziek van Sarah Denoo (Borgerhoff en Lamberigts) is het nu ook in Vlaanderen officieel. Blijkbaar hebben wij vrouwelijke lezers even onze buik vol van het legertje stuntelige, mollige maar o zo sympathieke Bridget Jones-klonen dat boekenland zo lang domineerde met hun zoektocht naar een droomvent, droombaan of droomhuis. Anno 2013 definiëren we ontspanningslectuur anders. We hebben geen zin meer in de dagdromen van melige of herkenbare heldinnen. Kamikaze meisjes daarentegen, die een nachtmerrie zijn voor zichzelf en hun omgeving? Daarmee valt te lachen!

DE HALVE-VENT TREND

De nieuwe literaire heldin is stoer en boos. Stoer – want Crazy Bitch heeft een gezond jagersinstinct en een dito seksuele appetijt. Op de werkvloer maakt ze via achterpoortjes promotie en wee het gebeente van liefjes/vriendinnen/collega’s/schoonfamilie die op haar strak gespannen zenuwen werken. Met hen rekent Crazy Bitch meedogenloos af. Ze heeft namelijk serieuze anger issues, ten gevolge van één of andere ongeneeslijke kras op haar ziel. Kort samengevat: het nieuwe vrouwelijke hoofdpersonage gedraagt zich als een halve vent.

In zekere zin is het gek dat vrouwelijke lezers – of is het: schrijfsters? – nu pas ontdekken hoeveel lol je kunt trappen met zuipende, flirtende en vloekende held(inn)en zonder remmen of gêne.

Tenslotte hebben mannen als Herman Brusselmans, Hunter S. Thompson (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) en Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting) met die ingrediënten al notoire succes oeuvres opgebouwd. Vanwaar die late inhaalbeweging? Ik ruk m’n ogen even los van een typerende passage uit Hardziek en vraagt auteur Sarah Denoo om uitleg.

FRAGMENT HARD ZIEK:
Vince wrijft mijn haren uit mijn gezicht en begint me te kussen. Ik begin in zijn oor te hijgen en grijp naar zijn kruis. Heter dan een kernreactor.
‘Sorry, ik moet pipi doen.’, zeg ik.
Enkele seconden later stuur ik hem een bericht: ‘Neem de deur naast het toilet: privé.’
We zijn al eens betrapt in de toiletten, dus daar komen we niet meer. Amper veertig seconden later stormt Vince het muffe bierkot binnen. In de hoek van deze speeltuin hangt een lavabo met twee gaten waar waarschijnlijk ooit twee kranen in zaten. Hij wil dat ik daarop ga zitten. Ik zeg dat ik echt niet met mijn kont in die vuile gootsteen wil gaan zitten, maar uiteindelijk bezwijk ik toch.
‘Wil je mijn privé zien?’, vraag ik Vince.
‘Fuck ja, laat me binnen.’
Net wanneer ik hem een rondleiding wil geven in mijn lichaam, schiet de lavabo los uit de muur en valt met een log geluid op de grond om vervolgens gewoon in twee te breken. Ik lig ook op de grond, nog altijd met mijn gat in die vuile lavabo.
‘Fuck Vince, sta daar niet zo te lachen. Help me recht godverdomme, mijn gat bloedt!’
De breuklijn heeft mijn linkerbil een ferme neep gegeven. Net op het moment dat Vince me uit mijn benepen situatie bevrijdt, komt Barman Bart binnen.
‘Jullie weer?’, zegt hij. ‘Wegwezen, en deze keer gaan jullie betalen.’
Bart klinkt alsof ie het meent.

‘Zot!’, zeg ik. ‘Ik ga die lavabo niet betalen. Dat was geen stuk antiek hoor, gast. Die vuile lavabo van jou heeft mijn gat opengereten. Ik ga straks naar de dokter. Dat zal je ook wat kosten.’

Ik ga hem echt geen nieuwe betalen. Ik laat mij niet rippen door een mislukte loodgieter. (p.49-50; ingekort)

EvelineBlog8

De heldin in jouw romandebuut Hardziek vuilbekt erop los. Wat waren je referenties bij het schrijven?

Sarah Denoo: ‘Oh God, hier moet ik meteen bekennen dat ik zelf erg weinig lees. Dat was soms vervelend, omdat ik weinig kader had voor mijn verhaal. Maar tegelijk vond ik het een voordeel. Ik imiteerde niets of niemand en dat maakt Hardziek authentiek. De plot is heel onbewust tot stand gekomen. Ik had een heftig begin en een heftig einde en heb de stukken ertussen in willekeurige volgorde laten opborrelen. Ook die bleken nogal heftig (lacht).

Tja, ik ben geen seut. Dan ga ik ook geen seutenboek schrijven.

En wat sommige mensen heftig vinden, vind ik vooral geestig. Met een geschift personage kun je als schrijver heel veel doen.’

Veel jonge vrouwelijke schrijfsters komen daar nu opeens achter. Zie jij een maatschappelijke trend?

SD: ‘Mijn moeder alleszins wel (schatert)! Toen ze het manuscript las, had ze het eerst wat moeilijk met de expliciete toon. Intussen zegt ze: ‘Dit lijkt me een boek van jouw tijd, Sarah. Het zal wel maatschappelijk relevant zijn.’ Dat vind ik een geweldig grappige reactie, al geloof ik ook dat Clara – mijn hoofdpersonage – een vrouw van deze tijd is. Clara lijkt heel stoer en onafhankelijk, maar in de liefde trapt ze in de stomste clichés. Ze is scherp en meestal iedereen te slim af – tot ze een smsje van haar lief krijgt, en bleit omdat ze niet weet hoe ze dat moet interpreteren. Er zit ook een scène in het boek waarin Clara zich boos maakt omdat niemand haar ‘lief’ vindt. Dat vind ik veelzeggend. Mannen vergeten vaak dat stoere en zelfbewuste vrouwen ook zacht kunnen zijn en sentimenteel.’

En dan nu de vraag van één miljoen: hoeveel Sarah zit er in Clara?
SD: ‘Hardziek is geen autobiografisch verhaal, maar ik heb wel feiten gebruikt uit mijn eigen leven.

Clara is de helft van een identieke tweeling – ik ook. Zij werkt achter de schermen bij de televisie – ik ook.

En hoewel ik zelf geen verslavende affaire heb gehad, ben ik in de liefde al wel eens gekwetst en weet ik wat liefdesverdriet is. Daaruit kon ik putten voor de stukken over Vince. Als ik schrijf beperk ik me niet tot wat ik zelf heb meegemaakt. In mijn boek zitten veel uitspraken van vrienden en anekdotes van mensen die ik ken. Het boek is een collage van elementen waaraan ik meestal nog een draai geef. Clara en haar tweelingzus Louise bijvoorbeeld delen op een telepathische manier herinneringen. Ik weet dat dit voorkomt bij tweelingen, maar mijn zus Hanne en ik hebben dat niet. Ik draai de werkelijkheid graag om in mijn verhaal.’

Hoe komt een tv-maakster op het idee om een roman te schrijven?
SD: ‘Ook in mijn tv-werk ben ik altijd bezig met verhalen vertellen. Ik ben ooit begonnen als researcher bij Jambers, De Reporters. Later werd ik reporter bij de docu-soap rond Miss België, deed ik redactie voor Boer zoekt Vrouw, Supernanny en Café Corsari en eindredactie bij De Pfaffs. Bij tv is het heel gewoon dat je in kleine ploegen werkt, waarin je verschillende taken opneemt en dus alle kanten van het métier leert.

Ik heb scenario’s en persteksten geschreven, items gemonteerd en geregisseerd. Zo leer je wel dat een goed verhaal een begin, een midden en een einde heeft. Of dat je een spanningsboog nodig hebt en dat dingen vooruit moeten gaan. In die zin was de stap naar schrijven voor mij niet zo groot.

Een boek is natuurlijk een solo-project. Omdat ik graag feedback krijg, heb ik de eerste veertig pagina’s onmiddellijk naar vrienden gestuurd. Hun reacties gaven me de discipline om verder te werken. Niet dat ze allemaal zo lovend waren (lacht). Mijn zus had bij het lezen vaak de slappe lach en ook mijn ex-lieven reageerden enthousiast. Maar mijn beste vriendin belde me heel bezorgd om te vragen of alles wel goed ging met mij…’

Op de kaft staat ‘thriller’. Een ideetje van de uitgever? Ik vond je roman eerder het relaas van een amour fou…
SD: ‘Je kunt het verhaal een thriller noemen, maar dan een psychologische, omdat het afstevent op een einde dat niemand wil meemaken. Er zitten ook clous verborgen doorheen de tekst die de ontknoping voorbereiden. Vooral bij het herlezen vallen die op. Maar ik geef toe dat het geen klassieke thriller is. Voor mij is waanzin het grote thema. Ja, eerder waanzin dan seks.’

Voor alle duidelijkheid: ondanks alle pikante passages is dit dus geen boek à la Vijftig Tinten Grijs. Of wel?
SD: ‘Nee, al hebben sommige mensen – meestal op basis van de achterflap – wel die indruk.

Voor Hardziek in de winkel lag, ben ik eens benaderd door een journaliste die me wou profileren als de Vlaamse E.L. James. Toen ze mijn boek eenmaal aan het lezen was, is dat interview geannuleerd.

Want waar Anastasia in Vijftig Tinten Grijs bezig is met cupcakes en een stijltang wanneer ze niet sekst, laat ik Clara een kat kaal scheren en Nederlandse mannen bekogelen met bitterballen. Dat getuigt toch van een ander temperament. Ach, ik lig niet wakker van de vergelijking. Maar persoonlijk vind ik haar niet relevant.’

Sarah Denoo, Hard Ziek, Borgerhoff & Lamberigts, 224 p, € 21,95

CRAZY BITCH LITERATUUR

INTERNATIONAAL

1. Virginie Despentes, Apocalyps Baby, De Geus (2011, Frankrijk, vertaling Kiki Coumans): Privédetective Lucie volgt een ontspoord rijkeluisdochtertje naar Barcelona en Parijs. Ongeveer elk vrouwelijk personage in deze gitzwarte komedie is gewelddadig, feministisch en magistraal politiek incorrect.
2. Charlotte Roche, Vochtige Streken, De Bezige Bij (2008, Duitsland, vertaald door Marcel Misset): Achttienjarig meisje belandt na beschamend scheerincident in een ziekenhuisbed, waar ze nadenkt over lijf, lust en verleden. Kruising tussen shock novel en feministisch manifest.
3. Mira Feticu, Lief kind van mij, De Geus (2012, Nederland/Roemenië): Gewaagde autobiografische analyse. Hoe kweek je uit een seksueel gretig Roemeens internaatsmeisje een brutale, gevoelige en vooral eigenzinnige Nederlandse moeder?

VLAANDEREN
1. Sarah Denoo, Hardziek, Borgerhoff & Lamberigts: Grote klep Clara rekent af met haar op geile seks beluste minnaar – en verliest en passant haar gezond verstand.
2. Valerie Eyckmans, Verloren maandag, Vrijdag: Bijtende satire op het kantoorleven. Eyckmans omschreef haar hoofdpersonage Eva in het aprilnummer van ELLE als ‘een kreng met veel issues’.

PS: Van vrij 28/8 tem vrij 13/11 ben ik met zwangerschapsverlof. Ik overbrug die periode met stukken uit mijn archief (zoals dit interview, dat in het julinummer 2013 van ELLE verscheen) of teksten die ik deze zomer schreef.

PPS: Nog een Vlaamse tv-maker die zich tot schrijven bekeerde.

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Contents

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Summary

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Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interests: preventing crime or suspected criminal activity (such as fraud).

In connection with the enforcement or potential enforcement our legal rights

We will use your information in connection with the enforcement or potential enforcement of our legal rights, including, for example, sharing information with debt collection agencies if you do not pay amounts owed to us when you are contractually obliged to do so. Our legal rights may be contractual (where we have entered into a contract with you) or non-contractual (such as legal rights that we have under copyright law or tort law).

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interest: enforcing our legal rights and taking steps to enforce our legal rights.

In connection with a legal or potential legal dispute or proceedings

We may need to use your information if we are involved in a dispute with you or a third party for example, either to resolve the dispute or as part of any mediation, arbitration or court resolution or similar process.

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interest(s): resolving disputes and potential disputes.

How long we retain your information

This section sets out how long we retain your information. We have set out specific retention periods where possible. Where that has not been possible, we have set out the criteria we use to determine the retention period.

Retention periods

Server log information: we retain information on our server logs for 3 months.

Correspondence and enquiries: when you make an enquiry or correspond with us for any reason, whether by email or via our contact form or by phone, we will retain your information for as long as it takes to respond to and resolve your enquiry, and for 36 further month(s), after which point we will archive your information.

Newsletter: we retain the information you used to sign up for our newsletter for as long as you remain subscribed (i.e. you do not unsubscribe).

Criteria for determining retention periods

In any other circumstances, we will retain your information for no longer than necessary, taking into account the following:

    • the purpose(s) and use of your information both now and in the future (such as whether it is necessary to continue to store that information in order to continue to perform our obligations under a contract with you or to contact you in the future);
    • whether we have any legal obligation to continue to process your information (such as any record-keeping obligations imposed by relevant law or regulation);
    • whether we have any legal basis to continue to process your information (such as your consent);
    • how valuable your information is (both now and in the future);
    • any relevant agreed industry practices on how long information should be retained;
    • the levels of risk, cost and liability involved with us continuing to hold the information;
    • how hard it is to ensure that the information can be kept up to date and accurate; and
    • any relevant surrounding circumstances (such as the nature and status of our relationship with you).

How we secure your information

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to secure your information and to protect it against unauthorised or unlawful use and accidental loss or destruction, including:

  • only sharing and providing access to your information to the minimum extent necessary, subject to confidentiality restrictions where appropriate, and on an anonymised basis wherever possible;
  • using secure servers to store your information;
  • verifying the identity of any individual who requests access to information prior to granting them access to information;
  • using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) software to encrypt any payment transactions you make on or via our website;
  • only transferring your information via closed system or encrypted data transfers;

Transmission of information to us by email

Transmission of information over the internet is not entirely secure, and if you submit any information to us over the internet (whether by email, via our website or any other means), you do so entirely at your own risk.

We cannot be responsible for any costs, expenses, loss of profits, harm to reputation, damages, liabilities or any other form of loss or damage suffered by you as a result of your decision to transmit information to us by such means.

Transfers of your information outside the European Economic Area

Your information may be transferred and stored outside the European Economic Area (EEA) in the circumstances set out earlier in this policy.

We will also transfer your information outside the EEA or to an international organisation in order to comply with legal obligations to which we are subject (compliance with a court order, for example). Where we are required to do so, we will ensure appropriate safeguards and protections are in place.

Your rights in relation to your information

Subject to certain limitations on certain rights, you have the following rights in relation to your information, which you can exercise by writing to the data controller using the details provided at the top of this policy.

  • to request access to your information and information related to our use and processing of your information;
  • to request the correction or deletion of your information;
  • to request that we restrict our use of your information;
  • to receive information which you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format (e.g. a CSV file) and the right to have that information transferred to another data controller (including a third-party data controller);
  • to object to the processing of your information for certain purposes (for further information, see the section below entitled Your right to object to the processing of your information for certain purposes); and
  • to withdraw your consent to our use of your information at any time where we rely on your consent to use or process that information. Please note that if you withdraw your consent, this will not affect the lawfulness of our use and processing of your information on the basis of your consent before the point in time when you withdraw your consent.

In accordance with Article 77 of the General Data Protection Regulation, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence, place of work or of an alleged infringement of the General Data Protection Regulation.

Further information on your rights in relation to your personal data as an individual

You can find out further information about your rights, as well as information on any limitations which apply to those rights, by reading the underlying legislation contained in Articles 12 to 22 and 34 of the General Data Protection Regulation, which is available here:http://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/reform/files/regulation_oj_en.pdf

Verifying your identity where you request access to your information

Where you request access to your information, we are required by law to use all reasonable measures to verify your identity before doing so.

These measures are designed to protect your information and to reduce the risk of identity fraud, identity theft or general unauthorised access to your information.

How we verify your identity

Where we possess appropriate information about you on file, we will attempt to verify your identity using that information.

If it is not possible to identity you from such information, or if we have insufficient information about you, we may require original or certified copies of certain documentation in order to be able to verify your identity before we are able to provide you with access to your information.

We will be able to confirm the precise information we require to verify your identity in your specific circumstances if and when you make such a request.

Your right to object

You have the following rights in relation to your information, which you may exercise in the same way as you may exercise by writing to the data controller using the details provided at the top of this policy.

  • to object to us using or processing your information where we use or process it in order
  • to carry out a task in the public interest or for our legitimate interests, including ‘profiling’ (i.e. analysing or predicting your behaviour based on your information) based on any of these purposes; and
  • to object to us using or processing your information for direct marketing purposes (including any profiling we engage in that is related to such direct marketing).

You may also exercise your right to object to us using or processing your information for direct marketing purposes by:

  • clicking the unsubscribe link contained at the bottom of any marketing email we send to you and following the instructions which appear in your browser following your clicking on that link;
  • sending an email to info@thisishowweread.be, asking that we stop sending you marketing communications or by including the words “OPT OUT”.

Sensitive Personal Information

‘Sensitive personal information’ is information about an individual that reveals their racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, genetic information, biometric information for the purpose of uniquely identifying an individual, information concerning health or information concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation.

Our website does not allow you to register any ‘Sensitive Information’, however if we ask for this, you will be considered to have explicitly consented to us processing that sensitive personal information under Article 9(2)(a) of the General Data Protection Regulation.

Changes to our Privacy Policy

We update and amend our Privacy Policy from time to time.

Minor changes to our Privacy Policy

Where we make minor changes to our Privacy Policy, we will update our Privacy Policy with a new effective date stated at the beginning of it. Our processing of your information will be governed by the practices set out in that new version of the Privacy Policy from its effective date onwards.

Major changes to our Privacy Policy or the purposes for which we process your information

Where we make major changes to our Privacy Policy or intend to use your information for a new purpose or a different purpose than the purposes for which we originally collected it, we will notify you by email (where possible) or by posting a notice on our website.

We will provide you with the information about the change in question and the purpose and any other relevant information before we use your information for that new purpose.

Wherever required, we will obtain your prior consent before using your information for a purpose that is different from the purposes for which we originally collected it.

Children’s Privacy

Because we care about the safety and privacy of children online, we comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA). COPPA and its accompanying regulations protect the privacy of children using the internet. We do not knowingly contact or collect information from persons under the age of 18. The website is not intended to solicit information of any kind from persons under the age of 18.

It is possible that we could receive information pertaining to persons under the age of 18 by the fraud or deception of a third party. If we are notified of this, as soon as we verify the information, we will, where required by law to do so, immediately obtain the appropriate parental consent to use that information or, if we are unable to obtain such parental consent, we will delete the information from our servers. If you would like to notify us of our receipt of information about persons under the age of 18, please do so by contacting us by using the details at the top of this policy.