But no one expected such density, such writing that seems to have been dipped in the seed of Beelzebub, the novel Patriciaa biography written by her son on the life of the world's envied shoe designer, hit the bookstores without warning, like an untimely shovel-roll.
Meet the man who is revolutionizing the publishing world like no one before him, except perhaps Plato.
Bertrand Bipot: Renaud, how did you come up with the idea of writing a totally crazy, delightful novel about your mother?
Meet the man who is revolutionizing the publishing world like no one before him, except perhaps Plato.
Bertrand Bipot: Renaud, how did you come up with the idea of writing a totally crazy, delightful novel about your mother?
Renaud: As my presence and my work on the networks grew for Patricia Blanchet, I began to feel at ease with speaking out and I unfolded, lengthening my texts significantly. Little by little, my posts took off. I went from short publications to an extended universe where the mundane is embedded in the marvellous.
Bertrand Bipot: You have deployed yourself in a very significant way indeed. I noticed a switchover on the Patricia Blanchet networks. Can you tell us how and when it happened?
Renaud: I was preparing a cherry clafoutis after a sleepless night of lust, and I thought of Anaïs Nin, then of the Tales of the Thousand and One Nights.
Bertrand Bipot: Explain this great discrepancy.
Renaud: I'd spent the evening feasting on bottle after bottle of wine. Early in the morning, my body needed its sugar fix. I pounced on the first recipe I had in mind.
Bertrand Bipot: I was talking about the literary project.
RenaudI took refuge in these two works, which gave me a furious desire to live, to conquer and to write.
Bertrand Bipot: and therefore to write Patricia.
Renaud: Not quite, before that I started writing a collection of short stories about sodomy.
Bertrand Bipot: It's an interesting, deep subject. Where can we read these short stories? Which publisher had the audacity to publish them?
Renaud: Precisely none. Everyone enjoyed my writing, but when it came time to act, there was no one left. So for the moment, my new sodomites are staying put, but there's one that Marvel is looking into. Apparently the superheroes are looking to develop an adult branch of their comics. Me, why not, if it means I can devote more time to baking. There's a clafoutis tournament at the end of the year in Cincinnati where the greatest masters of the discipline meet. I'd love to take part, so that France features prominently in this unrivalled competition.
Bertrand Bipot: And Patricia, because this is the heart of our interview? How did you come up with the crazy idea of inventing this frivolous story?
Renaud: It all stemmed from a Homeric Facebook post in which I plunged Patricia into the center of a romantic story that saw her on a magic carpet piloted by a Persian who fell head over heels in love with her. They flew over Paris, meeting a genius who ended up selling raclette. It was great fun, and wtf. When it was over, I posted it on Facebook and then...
Bertrand Bipot: And then what? Tell us Renaud, France is afraid. France wants to know.
Renaud: And as soon as it was online, there was a flood of likes. A tsunami of moist love washed over the page. Fiery comments and handfuls of sweet words adorned the Patricia Blanchet page. It was both very moving and very exciting. A bit like getting your cherry popped. We even got a call from Facebook France to see if our page had broken. There was a lot of plebiscite. That was nice. In the midst of all these enthusiastic messages, I received a dozen proposals from publishing houses who were keen to meet me. I was delighted, because I love to write, and I was flattered that so many publishers were courting me with Patricia in mind.
Bertrand Bipot: Why did you choose to work with Le Seuil?
Renaud: Because they had edited Lacan and Barthes, and I wanted to help them recover their former lustre. But also because I talked about Carpenter and 70s cinema with my editor at Seuil. Inevitably, this creates links.
Bertrand Bipot: How did you manage to slip into your mother's skin so easily?
Renaud: I'm an only child, I've worked with them for a long time, and we have Jewish roots. Suffice it to say, it's a nuclear meltdown. And I love to put myself in other people's shoes. But nothing like Hannibal Lecter.
Bertrand Bipot: What did Patricia think of the book? Did she like it? Didn't she feel, perhaps, betrayed at times?
Renaud: She was delighted with the project and that I was able to stage her life with such mastery.
Bertrand Bipot: Proud?
Renaud: She had a large part of the book printed on wallpaper and then mounted on the walls of her apartment. She changes her bed every night to fall asleep in front of a different passage.
Bertrand Bipot: How did your father react?
Renaud: He really liked the book, but decided not to talk to me again until I'd written a book about him, just to even things out.
Bertrand Bipot: Can you tell us about your next projects?
Renaud: I'm in the process of completing a biography of Henri Krasucki, in which there will be many revelations that are likely to set the Marne on fire. Very few knew that this lively trade unionist was also a great seducer, who had more conquests than Warren Beatty and Alain Delon put together. When it's over, it's time for me to switch to the most extreme telenovela ever written.
Bertrand Bipot: Dear Renaud, never before have I heard such exciting words as yours. Thank you, and if you don't have anything else to do, let's have a drink in my trailer.
* Interview by Bertrand Bipot, journalist and columnist for Ecrivains de Notre Temps.
RenaudI took refuge in these two works, which gave me a furious desire to live, to conquer and to write.
Bertrand Bipot: and therefore to write Patricia.
Renaud: Not quite, before that I started writing a collection of short stories about sodomy.
Bertrand Bipot: It's an interesting, deep subject. Where can we read these short stories? Which publisher had the audacity to publish them?
Renaud: Precisely none. Everyone enjoyed my writing, but when it came time to act, there was no one left. So for the moment, my new sodomites are staying put, but there's one that Marvel is looking into. Apparently the superheroes are looking to develop an adult branch of their comics. Me, why not, if it means I can devote more time to baking. There's a clafoutis tournament at the end of the year in Cincinnati where the greatest masters of the discipline meet. I'd love to take part, so that France features prominently in this unrivalled competition.
Bertrand Bipot: And Patricia, because this is the heart of our interview? How did you come up with the crazy idea of inventing this frivolous story?
Renaud: It all stemmed from a Homeric Facebook post in which I plunged Patricia into the center of a romantic story that saw her on a magic carpet piloted by a Persian who fell head over heels in love with her. They flew over Paris, meeting a genius who ended up selling raclette. It was great fun, and wtf. When it was over, I posted it on Facebook and then...
Bertrand Bipot: And then what? Tell us Renaud, France is afraid. France wants to know.
Renaud: And as soon as it was online, there was a flood of likes. A tsunami of moist love washed over the page. Fiery comments and handfuls of sweet words adorned the Patricia Blanchet page. It was both very moving and very exciting. A bit like getting your cherry popped. We even got a call from Facebook France to see if our page had broken. There was a lot of plebiscite. That was nice. In the midst of all these enthusiastic messages, I received a dozen proposals from publishing houses who were keen to meet me. I was delighted, because I love to write, and I was flattered that so many publishers were courting me with Patricia in mind.
Bertrand Bipot: Why did you choose to work with Le Seuil?
Renaud: Because they had edited Lacan and Barthes, and I wanted to help them recover their former lustre. But also because I talked about Carpenter and 70s cinema with my editor at Seuil. Inevitably, this creates links.
Bertrand Bipot: How did you manage to slip into your mother's skin so easily?
Renaud: I'm an only child, I've worked with them for a long time, and we have Jewish roots. Suffice it to say, it's a nuclear meltdown. And I love to put myself in other people's shoes. But nothing like Hannibal Lecter.
Bertrand Bipot: What did Patricia think of the book? Did she like it? Didn't she feel, perhaps, betrayed at times?
Renaud: She was delighted with the project and that I was able to stage her life with such mastery.
Bertrand Bipot: Proud?
Renaud: She had a large part of the book printed on wallpaper and then mounted on the walls of her apartment. She changes her bed every night to fall asleep in front of a different passage.
Bertrand Bipot: How did your father react?
Renaud: He really liked the book, but decided not to talk to me again until I'd written a book about him, just to even things out.
Bertrand Bipot: Can you tell us about your next projects?
Renaud: I'm in the process of completing a biography of Henri Krasucki, in which there will be many revelations that are likely to set the Marne on fire. Very few knew that this lively trade unionist was also a great seducer, who had more conquests than Warren Beatty and Alain Delon put together. When it's over, it's time for me to switch to the most extreme telenovela ever written.
Bertrand Bipot: Dear Renaud, never before have I heard such exciting words as yours. Thank you, and if you don't have anything else to do, let's have a drink in my trailer.
* Interview by Bertrand Bipot, journalist and columnist for Ecrivains de Notre Temps.