Tuesday, July 15, 2003

INSIDE THE BLOGGER'S STUDIO
A "Bring Back Sincerity" Exclusive Interview with Arye Dworken

BBS: Spearmint or Peppermint?
Arye Dworken: Definitely peppermint.

BBS: Interesting. What are you up to nowadays?
AD: Wondering where life will take us.

BBS: Sounds...ominous.
AD: Well...hmm...well, I'm trying my damnest to be optimistic about things. I'm waiting for it all to start happening again.

BBS: For what to start happening again? You're speaking so ambiguously.
AD: The quality of life. Everything is so expensive and yet we don't have the money to afford much. We are surrounded by people all the time, so many personalities but yet none of them make us feel truly and completely whole. We work so hard to get jobs only to realize we don't want them and we wish we didn't have to go to the same place everyday.

BBS: Jeez, I didn't realize...but I can't help notice that you don't really seem upset. You still have some positive energy even when we talk about the dire times.
AD: What else do we have to hold onto other than optimism?
BBS: Not much.
AD: Exactly.

BBS: Do you ever think about getting married?
AD: Hmm...sometimes. It's been a long time since I dated someone seriously so it's hard for me to make a jump to thinking about that. It's like heading out on a road trip and focusing on a destination, instead of the wonderful rest stops along the way.

BBS: A-ha. I see. Let's talk about your writing? Why this need to be so sincere?
AD: That's a loaded question actually. Let me think about the right response. [Long pause] Ok, well, as you know, because I talk about it quite often, my father passed away.
BBS: Yeah, sorry to hear about that. Truly.
AD: Thanks. But one of the...uhhh...changes in my life is that I can no longer really function with irony and sarcasm. I mean, I'm not perfect and I may slip on occasion but there needs to be a return to this realness of being. A truthfulness to ourselves and to each other.
Ever since mid-January snarkiness has exhausted me. I get so tired of bitterness, of anger, of ironic empty gestures. My father was a very sincere man--he cried at every family get-together. He woke up every morning at 5:45 AM to make every minute count. Every sincere second. That's an incredible feat. It's also one of the reasons I can't sleep late anymore.

BBS: Lets talk about this weight of dealing with something of this heavy nature...
AD: How would I know? Who knows if I'm doing it right.
BBS: Well, like I mentioned, you seem to have a really healthy disposition.
AD: Yeah, I sure hope so. I was talking to a friend yesterday who lost his mother a while back and we were wondering if people know they are surpressing their grief. I don't feel like I am. What do you think?
BBS: I don't know. I truly don't.
AD: Listen, let's switch topics. This is too heavy to talk about. Ask me, instead, about Lynda Carter.
BBS: Ok, that was a smooth transition. Tell me about her.
AD: My first crush. I have an autographed photo of her on my desk.
BBS: Do you really?
AD: Yeah. Seriously. Hotter than Erin Gray any day.

BBS: Now that you're on your way to becoming a world-famous music journalist, tell me why people love music so much? Why is it such a popular medium?
AD: Everyone can relate to music in some form or another. It speaks to something as intangible as the soul. I don't know about you but when I listen to good music, I become suddenly aware of being alive. Most of the time, I just am. But when I hear a great tune, my aliveness becomes almost three-dimensional. Like I feel a stirring in my body, not like blood flowing or my bowels moving [laughs] but my essence.
BBS: Heavy. Pass the joint [laughs].
AD: [Laughs}

BBS: How do you take your coffee?
AD: Skim milk. One Equal and one sugar packet. I like it on the lighter side.

BBS: How do you avoid being egocentric on a blog?
AD: Impossible! The very nature of having a blog is egocentric. The concept of writing, in general, is egocentric. How dare I think that what I have to say is important enough for someone else to read it?
In fact, this interview is the most egocentric thing I have ever done.
BBS: Are you afraid of coming across as too self-involved?
AD: Every day. Every minute. Tell me, do you like spending time with someone who always talks about himself?
BBS: No.
AD: Bingo.

BBS: Let's play a word association game right now. I'm going to say some phrases and you have to respond immediately.
AD: Ok, I'm ready.
BBS: Tea.
AD: Home.
BBS: Perfect.
AD: My nephews.
BBS: Your favorite word...
AD: Hope.
BBS: Your least favorite...
AD: Confrontation.
BBS: After 120 years, when you reach the gates of heaven, what do you want them to say?
AD: Your father is waiting to talk to you about your credit card charges of the past 90 years.
BBS: Where do you want to be in the year 2033?
AD: At a PTA meeting.
BBS: Favorite 80's song?
AD: "The Promise" by When In Rome.
BBS: Time is...
AD: ...a gypsy caravan that steals away the night to leave you stranded in dream land. Ha ha. you know, that's actually a quote from a Rush song.
BBS: Who do you need to thank?
AD: Wow, the people who read what I write. I am so appreciative that it's insane. Writing for me is such a continuous and wonderful experience. And the people who come along with me, with their patience and their beautiful eyes that lusciously taste every word...I want to thank them more times than I am capable of, ya' know? Without them, I would be speaking in a vacuum and as my childhood cleaning lady taught me; you can't hear anything when the vacuum is on.

BBS: Thank you so much for your time.
AD: Oh my God, don't be silly. This was a blast. Really great speaking with you.
BBS: Sincerely?

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home