I approached Hans after attending my first “Alchemy” reading in October,
where he made the entire room laugh hysterically with a hilarious life story.
He is usually the guy who sits at the back of the room in silence. He has a
raspy voice. But once on stage, his voice loses its coarseness and becomes
fluid. This tête-à-tête interview reveals more about this Boston-born,
Prague-based American writer.
- · On Prague and himself
How did you get to Prague in the first place?
When I was 17 years
old, I got a call from my rich aunt. She was drunk and said something like
“Look Hans, I wanna give you a little graduation present – a ticket to anywhere
in the world.” I didn’t know if it was the alcohol talking or what but her
offer still sparked something in me so that day I got on the computer and
planned an enormous trip through North Africa and Europe. I left the following
summer with a buddy from my hometown, but he got kinda homesick and split
early. Then in Budapest I met this organic-hippie type with dreadlocks and
mismatched socks. He was from Georgia and had been travelling Europe for months
on end. I didn’t know where the hell I was going so I asked if I could tag
along. He said, “Sure, my next stop is Czech Republic.” I hadn’t planned on visiting
this country but I said “Why not?” Best choice I ever made.
What year was that?
That was back in
2000, when The Czech Republic was still opening up. There weren’t many
tourists, which was really nice. It felt like we had the whole place to ourselves.
Our first stop was Český Krumlov. I was blown away by its architecture and
quaintness. Then we went to Prague and that really kicked me in the pants. I
knew I had to come back. Over the following six years, I returned twice. Then
after serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Turkmenistan from 2006-2008 I was
back in my hometown of Livermore, California. I lived with my folks there and
wrote my first book. When I finished, they basically told me it was time to get
a job and hit the road. Luckily my father had a connection at a language school
here in Prague. I set up an interview with the school director, bought a plane
ticket and took a chance.
Has your impression of Prague changed over the years? Is it a good place
to live and write in?
Prague is a fantastic
place to live and write in, but it’s a terrible place to save money if you’re
working as a teacher. My pay-checks up and vanish by the end of each month. I
save almost no money and the little money I do save I invariably spend on booze
and travel (laughs). But yes, my
impression has changed. When I first came here I only knew the tourist trail
from Old Town Square up to Prague Castle. But now that I’ve lived here for a
while, I realize that the place that captures me the most is my neighbourhood,
Žižkov. I love it. It’s the gritty underbelly of Prague and all the coolest
bits of history are there. Not to mention, it’s been the home of a lot of great
writers.
Like who?
The Nobel Prize
winning Czech writer Jaroslav Seifert lived right down the street from me. Jaroslav Hašek, author of “The Good Soldier Švejk.” Plus, Franz Kafka is buried there. And even though he’s not considered
“Czech” because of his German-Jewish roots, he is still part of the literary
landscape of the neighborhood. Anyways, to answer your question, my impressions have changed. I
realize now that Prague is much more than just Old Town Square and the castle.
So what’s your favourite part of the city?
Žižkov, hands down. I
know this because about a week ago I went to go look at place in Holešovice and
on the tram ride there I was already missing Žižkov (laughs).
Really?
Yeah, it’s an awesome
place. The tower, the crawling babies, the Roma, the Russians, the working
class Czechs, the grimy pubs, the drugs, the bums, the barking dogs, the
faeces/dung shit everywhere... That’s my spot, baby!
 |
| Image credits: Anna Hupcejová |
I didn’t know any
Czech when I came out here about 3 years ago. But after a month or two, I threw myself into it. I loved the fact
that it has one of the rarest sounds in the world, the “ř” sound. I mean, most
people fiddle with Romance languages like French or Italian, ‘cuz they’re
“pretty.” But I liked Czech ‘cuz it’s f*****g hard. I always compare it to a
sea urchin – dark and spiny on the outside, but once you crack its shell, it’s
all soft and gooey in there. Anyways, I studied Czech hard ‘cuz I didn’t wanna
live in a bubble. Out here, the signs, newspapers, movies, billboards, people’s
conversations, they’re all in Czech and if you don’t know it, you’re letting
this whole place slip away from you. I’m not saying I speak Czech perfectly or
anything, I still make mistakes. But I’m fluent enough to feel like I actually
live here and that makes all the difference.
How would you get into the English literary circles in Prague?
In 2011, my
ex-girlfriend (she’s Czech) brought me to Microfest, which is a literary
festival held every year here in May. I met Louis Armand, Ken Nash and others
of the Prague writing scene there and dug most of what they read. I went again
in 2012 and 2013 and met other writers. The scene was small but I liked that
because it meant that with enough hard work I might actually have a real chance
of making an impression on someone.
How did you find out about Alchemy?
Through Ken Nash –
its founder. He told me that if I wanted at shot at Microfest, I had to prove
myself at Alchemy first. I’ve read there four times now and had some success.
It’s a great opportunity to read your stuff in front an audience and I’m glad
to be a part of it.
So your future goal is to be featured at Microfest?
That’s definitely in
my sights. But before I do, I wanna make sure I’m ready. This means really
honing my prose and selecting only the best to be presented.
You were born in Boston, but grew up in a small town in California. Your
Dad is of German descent and your mother of Mexican. You speak Spanish and
English fluently ...
Yup. From the ages of
1 to 4 I lived mainly with my Mexican grandparents. I was the first male in the
family which is a big thing in Latino culture. My grandfather pretty much
treated me like his own son and taught me Mexican pride and to speak Spanish. I
think my dad, who was away working during this time, knew that his smaller
German-American family might not have much cultural influence on me so that’s
why he gave me such a German-sounding name. This kinda split my identity though
and when I started school I had a helluva time. For the Anglo kids I was too
dark-skinned with a funny name they couldn’t pronounce, and for the Latino kids
I was too light-skinned with an absolutely hilarious name they couldn’t
pronounce. I didn’t really fit in anywhere. Maybe that’s one of the reasons I
enjoy travelling and finding out what makes other cultures tick.
- · On writing
What was the first thing you ever wrote?
When I was a kid
there was this sewage treatment plant down the road from our house. Everybody
hated the place with a passion because it stunk so bad. I remember there was a
sign that hung above the river of untreated water there out front. So one day
when I was about five and a half, I got the urge to write a story about an evil
little gun that came to life and shot that warning sign down so that passersby
couldn’t see the river of s**t in front of them. Naturally, they all fell in (laughs, shaking his head from the memory
before continuing). I illustrated the whole thing and showed it proudly to
my mother. I can still remember the horrified look on her face!
What do you enjoy writing the most?
That’s a tough one.
It depends what inspires me at that moment. I enjoy writing creative
non-fiction and poetry. I also enjoy writing rap, which I’ve been doing since
my teens.
Would you like to perform some of your rap?
I’m working up the
courage to. I haven’t written any rap for a while so...
Well, we do have 7 minutes at Alchemy!
We do, indeed. And
I’ll definitely perform a rap song
there before I leave Prague.
What are your main sources of inspiration (books, music, real life
events)?
There are a number of
sources. At the front of these, I’d say, is my mixed cultural background.
Second, would have to be travel. Then there’s of course women and alcohol (smirks). Most recently, I realized that
a good source of inspiration that doesn’t involve hurting my wallet, heart, or
liver is riding the public transportation here.
Public transportation?
Yeah, the tram
especially. You get all these people crammed into one tiny space and you see
them at their best and their worst. You see people fighting, crying, breaking
up, talking on phones to loved ones, mothers nursing their kids... all that for
3 to 4 hours a day. It’s an endless source of material.
So whenever you can, you take the tram?
Yup. That’s something
my ex-girlfriend taught me. Before I always took the metro because it’s quicker
but then she said. “You’re so American, take the tram! It’s slower but you
really see the city and the people.” I resisted her for a while. Turns out, she
was kinda right.
Do you ever experience writer’s block? How do you tackle it?
Yes, it’s a
nerve-wracking experience. I’ve found that it has three sources: one, you run
out of material to write about, so you gotta get up and move and do something
new. Two, you lose your verve or “burn out” as they say, which may be totally
incurable. And three, you try to write about a topic that’s especially painful
so your mind puts some kind of subconscious block on it. For me, this was my
time serving as a volunteer in Turkmenistan. I saw a lot of horrible things
there, many of which I’m still dealing with.
So how did you tackle it?
Very, very slowly and
carefully. When I started writing my book about Turkmenistan last year I made
the deadly mistake of diving head first into all my journals, videos, and
letters from that time. This caused me a great deal of anxiety and I couldn’t
figure out why. When I finally realized it was because I was reliving all those
painful moments simultaneously, I took a step back and reassessed. After a three-week
break, I approached it slowly, writing careful outlines, going through my
journals and videos at a delicate pace, etc... The words eventually came to me.
Now I’ve already written a quarter of my book.
Is writing your profession or just a hobby?
Writing is definitely
not a hobby. I may not get paid for it but everything I do (i.e. teach, live
abroad, travel, etc.) is so I can have the money and material I need to support
myself and write. I chose teaching English as a day job because it puts bread
on the table and I can do it anywhere in the world. Plus, at the end of the day
I have enough time and energy left to write.
So what’s your university degree in? English? Creative writing?
International
studies. My area of focus was Middle Eastern politics. My languages of focus
were Arabic and Farsi. Because of all this my folks wanted me to be something
practical like a diplomat or an ambassador. When I told them I wanted to write,
they said “Be a journalist.” When I finished my service in Turkmenistan, I got
offers from Chevron and the FBI to work as an interpreter. But I said “The hell
with all that, I wanna write.” This was tough on my folks at first. We have a
very academic family and my choice not to pursue that route was hard for them
to understand. When they saw I was serious though, they really got on board.
Now they’re half the reason I’ve gotten as far as I have.
So have you published a novel?
No, not yet. I’m
working on getting my first novel published.
What’s it about?
Well, I grew up in a
small town with a group of guys who like me were of mixed background. We got
into all sorts of crazy stuff shit together so to conceal our
conversations about these things we developed our own way of speaking. We
invented words, gestures, intonations; we also borrowed heavily from Spanish
and African-American English. When we didn’t have a word for something we used
a special multi-layered form of sarcasm we invented. This way we could
thoroughly confuse the listener, even when using normal English words. We
called this language “R.O.A.S.T” (short for, “Result of a Small Town”). One of
my buddies even wrote a college term paper on it...
Eventually, I got
these guys interested in travelling. We did Latin America in 2003 and 2004.
Then in 2006 we did our biggest – an 85-day monster all around the world. My
first book is a fictionalized account of this trip. And it should come as no
surprise that Prague is one of its highlights.
So you’re working on a second book now?
Yeah, like I said,
I’m writing my second book, which is a fictionalized account of my volunteer
service in Turkmenistan. I’m also working on two compilations of poetry, one of
which is about Prague.
- · Last questions on literature and the future
Do you have a favourite line from a poem or novel?
Yeah, there is one by
Henry Miller from “Tropic of Cancer.” It goes something like “I am the madman
who dances with lightning in his hands.” I really like that. It struck me, no
pun intended (laughs).
Have you read any books by Czech authors, in English or in Czech?
Recently, I read
“Immortality” by Kundera in Czech. I really liked it. I still think about some
of the questions it posed, like, “Can people achieve immortality by etching
themselves indelibly in the memories of others?” I also read “The Unbearable
Lightness of Being” in English. I liked it too, though I thought “Immortality”
was better.
What are your plans for the future, both as a writer and an expat in
Prague?
In 5 years I’d like
to have a book or at least a compilation of poetry published. I’d also like to
have mastered the art of capturing images and moments using as few words as
possible. If I could be making a little bit of money from my writing, that
would be nice. This way I wouldn’t have to teach so much! Don’t get me wrong, I
like my job, but I don’t live for it
like I do for my writing.
What about Prague?
I will live here for
another two years. And in 5 years’ time... we’ll see, maybe I’ll meet a girl
and stay for longer. I definitely want to finish writing my second book here. I’d
also like to edit my first book down to a more manageable size.
How long is it now?
Well, there’s the
book and the R.O.A.S.T dictionary behind it, which together take up about 400
singled-spaced computer pages. In terms of normal book pages I guess that would
be about 800.
How long did it take you to write it?
10 months. It
literally flew out of my fingers. Editing it is going to take a while though.
I’d like to size it down to about 300 book-pages and try to publish it that
way. The more detailed version will be just for my friends, to whom the book is
naturally dedicated.
