|
Home |
Dedication |
Editorial |
Feed Back |
Submissions |
About Us |
Back Issues |
Contact Us |
Links
|
 |
From the Hill to Hollywood!
A Conversation with
Lee Dunne
|
He is Ireland's most controversial writer, having had the most banned
books by the Irish censors. He is also one of its most popular authors, with his debut novel,
Goodbye To The Hill, selling over one million copies. Even his new novel, Dancers of
Fortune, is on its way to becoming the biggest blockbusters of the year. So, what is
it about Lee Dunne that, even at 70, he remains a compelling
relevance to Irish literature? Jason O'Toole goes in search of the
man and his art. |
It appeared to be a
famine, but now it is a feast with Ireland's bestselling and controversial author. Before last
year, Lee Dunne hadn't a single novel published since the late '80s. But within the last six
months, he has two new books gracing the shelves of your local bookstore. And his latest novel,
Dancers of Fortune (2005), looks like it's going to be his most successful novel.
Dunne has penned over 18 novels, including the modern day
classic Goodbye To The Hill (1965), which sold over one million copies around the world,
and was made into a Hollywood movie. Amazingly, this is his first "historical novel." He has
written in almost all types of genres--including crime, espionage, coming-of-age novels,
kitchen sink dramas and even sex comedies!
"It's a departure for me, being a historical sort of novel,"
reveals Dunne, who at the age of 70 last year, was awarded an MA in Scriptwriting--and he got
honours no less! "People are saying very good things about Dancers of Fortune
already and we have high hopes it's going to be big."
Dancers of Fortune, which is set in Dublin at the
beginning of the last century, is a 600-page blockbuster
with twists and dramatic turns on
almost every page. The story centres on Sam Sweet, a Dublin Jew, who becomes one of Michael
Collins' right-hand men during the 'Easter Rising' of 1916. The novel deals with Sam's
complicated love life. The power-hungry Sam dreams about success but his ambitious plans
for the business he starts with his lover's rich brother are derailed when he falls in love
with a Jewish actress who forces him to re-examine his faith and life.
| "Perhaps it's
ironic, but Dunne is enjoying another successful period in his career with his new historical
love story, exactly 40 years to the day since the publication of Goodbye To The Hill;
the book that made his name."
|
Dunne's blockbuster has been described as the new Strumpet
City or Beatrice Coogan's epic The Big Wind. The Sunday Independent described
Dancers of Fortune as a tour-de-force which manages to "really capture a time of huge
change in Ireland, both for those affected by grinding poverty and for the wealthy".
"I don't know where the story came from," admits Dunne, "I just
kept looking up while it was coming through, telling my anonymous donor, just keep sending it
pal, it feels real good. The same thing is happening now with the sequel. Lucky me! Lots going
on--great from a middle aged guy like me!"
Lucky Dunne "indeed"! While his new novel is flying off the
bookshelves in Ireland--fast on its way to becoming one of this year's biggest sellers--Dunne
is also in discussions with a top UK producer about turning the novel into a mini-series. And
his publishers, Poolbeg, have signed him up for two more sequels - with the second part due for
publication next St Patrick's Day.
Perhaps it's ironic, but Dunne is enjoying another successful
period in his career with his new historical love story, exactly 40 years to the day since the
publication of Goodbye To The Hill; the book that made his name.
"In 1964, I sat down one evening with the idea of writing a
short story about a 14 year old kid who rides his bicycle down this hill six days a week for
three years, vowing in his own way: 'Someday real soon, I'm going to say goodbye to this place',"
explains Dunne who turned that "short story idea" into one of the biggest selling books in
Ireland.
" Goodbye wrote itself in six weeks. I typed it up--just
the one draft--in three or four hours an evening sessions after I got home from day job as a
London taxi driver."
Dunne also adapted Goodbye To The Hill for the stage and
it turns out to be Ireland's longest running play of all time and likely to hold onto that
title for ever. It ran (six nights a week in a 280 seat situation) for two years and
10 months.
"It is
arguably Ireland's most popular play," Dunne explains,
"and I still light a thank-you-candle to whatever scriptwriter in the sky dictated it to me so
that I could pay the back rent and the coal bill and a long line of creditors. Ten years after
that main run of the play people are still talking to me about it on a daily basis.
Unbelievable, I know, but I swear this is true and I will produce it again when I find an Angel
who wants to back a sure thing."
Dunne is now working with his Irish publishers on bringing out
the 40th anniversary edition of Goodbye To The Hill,
| "I was
knocking on the door of Enlightenment to discover that I was knocking from the inside.
In the odd moment that I forget this or something distracts me, I don't judge Lee, I just
observe the moment and get on with that which is in front of me."
|
which will be available later this
year.
"I'm happy to record that the book is right now being reassessed
and there is a growing opinion among those who decide these things that my novel is seminal to
the 1950's."
Amazingly, for a writer so prolific and so relevant it is hard
to find much of Dunne 's back catalogue on the shelves of your local Easons! Perhaps it's
politics, for Dunne holds the honour of being the most banned author on this island. Out of his
18 books, seven of them: Paddy Maguire is Dead (1972), Midnight Cabbie, The Day Of
The Cabbie, The Cabbie Who Came In From The Cold, The Virgin Cabbie and my favourite The
Cabfather and a Hollywood movie called 'Paddy' are banned by the censors; their fears being
that Dunne's books would be a "bad influence".
Dunne explains: " Paddy was banned over Maureen Toal's perfect
breast being seen for a second as she took off her bra to get into bed with lucky Des Cave who
was playing me, Paddy being my alter ego. And when you read these titles [Cabbie books] you
surely know that these are intended to be funny books, with sex running second to the comedy
inherent in the very titles.
"My Cabbie books were seen as soft porn back in the 70s, but
today they would be seen as light comedy! How times change!"
I agree. Times indeed have changed. The books that are
gracing the shelf of popular bookstores in Ireland make Paddy Maguire is Dead and his
hilarious Cabbie series seem rather tame by today's standards.
"Without even trying I became Ireland's most banned author,
something like seven books and a pretty good Hollywood screenplay of mine got hit by censorship,
and, thank you for asking, yes, it was in the 20th Century, quite late on actually," Dunne tries
to laugh it off.
Last October, Dunne had a novel called Barleycorn Blues
(2004)
released. It is his first novel to be published since the late 80s. He is presently negotiating
the television rights of this book with a British production company who plans to make it into a
mini-series next year. While he is also considering writing a sequel to "BB" as Dunne refers to
Barleycorn Blues.
Dunne readily admits that the "writing bug" is still very much
alive in his soul: Barleycorn Blues wrote itself in 10 weeks and I loved being there with
it while it was happening. It woke me up even earlier than my usual 6am--I was at the desk and
into the days stuff by 5.30--I'd stop every two hours to give my eyes a rest from the screen
and I'd take a walk along the seafront at Bray where I live with my wife, Maura."
Today, Dunne can still be found getting up every morning at
5.30am to work on the sequel to Dancers of Fortune. He also has almost an endless list of
projects, including a screenplay he just finished for the Irish Film Board, as well as a musical
and another two novels he has outlined.
"Never say die; that's my motto," says Dunne.
What a buzz for a man approaching MIDDLE AGE! I must admit
that I am fascinated by Dunne's youthful energy, his unquenchable thirst for the good life. What
drives this man? What drives Lee Dunne at 70?
"I am driven by what I call divine enthusiasm, the energy of the
Universe flows through me and I live to Serve since living in Servitude is a living death. I
have a life energy that stems from unattachment even to the fear of death--there is nothing to
fear, death being a part of life. I feel blessed to be alive--what a gift, life, even when it
seemed harsh, unjust, whatever--it was the teacher then as it is in this moment, the moment in
which I live since it is all that is in the moment."
A pause.
"I was knocking on the door of Enlightenment to discover that I
was knocking from the inside. In the odd moment that I forget this or something distracts me,
I don't judge Lee, I just observe the moment and get on with that which is in front of me. I
believe, like Ralph Waldo Emerson that 'what Plato has thought you may think, what a saint has
felt you may feel, whatever has befallen any man you can understand.' I have never felt I was
doing the writing--if there is a gift it is the one that knows man is a channel--attend to the
channel that the rainwater may flow, giving life in its moment."
Another pause.
"I love life, believing every man is my brother, every woman my
mother or my sister with one wife (at a time)--People have always mattered to me, I respect
every one since I am the Self in all beings, as each being is in all beings. I have done
nothing, merely become open, opened by life's lessons--work has been the saviour and a
willingness to be open and have a laugh and sing a song at every given opportunity."
Someone once said that all great men are philosophers.
Here is a great man! Here is a philosopher! What is Lee Dunne's philosophy of art?
"Think like a god but write like a common man. And just this--may I never
come to believe that I write--may I go on believing that I am a channel and that when that channel is
attended to in the here and now, a good story may very well emerge. I Keep It Simple and no longer
make the mistake of equating Simple with Easy."
Well, well, when I asked the question I had in mind the
aesthetics of his art, not his philosopy per se. But does it matter? In the search for
artistic Truth and Beauty there is a thin divide between philosophy and aesthetics.
* * *
|
|
|
| ©
2004-2005 the Dublin Quarterly--to see familiar things with unfamiliar eyes!
|
| | |
