Pete Majendie is an installation artist who has exhibited in New Zealand and overseas. His best-known work is his 185 Empty White Chairs installation, which honours the people who died in the Christchurch earthquake of 22 February 2011.
Pete has also exhibited work in a variety of other media over the years and written and performed one-man comedy shows in New Zealand, Australia and the USA. Pete talks to NZ Booklovers.
Tell us a little about A Deaf in the Family.
It is a memoir of a small boy growing up in New Brighton in the late 50’s and 60’s. For a long time I was a ‘big brush’ artist - house painter. I have taken broad brush strokes to the stories of my childhood. People say you can’t have a memoir of a child, but I disagree. So much of who and what you are is determined by your childhood.
What inspired you to write the book?
I started writing this book at Under the Rough Ridge Writers Retreat in Otorehua three years ago. This is where I heard the term ‘autobiographical fiction.’ Some of the stories come from my stand-up comedy performances going back to 2000.
The book has tears and new stories added. It was a period when I was quite depressed, and in telling my stories, I discovered aspects of myself that I liked. The storytelling is therapeutic. I think we all have the desire to be seen and heard. In writing my stories, at least I saw and heard myself. We are the way we are for very good reasons, and sometimes we don’t know what those reasons are depending on where I was telling them, e.g. at Rolleston Prison. Afterwards, I would encourage people to tell their own stories. There are some aspects of the book that people are not very good at dealing with - death, invisible disabilities such as deafness and mental health. I was my mother’s little helper before Valium came along.
What research was involved?
I wandered around the areas where the stories took place and sat in the car outside Grandad’s place, but it had changed very little. Familiarity conjured up lots of memories. I read my mother’s life story. It was a page and a half and was very sad. We did some internet research regarding dates etc. I talked to people who knew Mum, including our old neighbour who still lives there.
What was your routine or process when writing this book?
Because the stories were performance pieces, I had a problem developing a written voice. I would think through each story as I would perform it, then attempt to write it down in longhand. That is why there is so much dialogue - I struggled with descriptive stuff. Then Joyce would decipher the handwriting and spelling and type it up for me. Then I could rework it once it was printed out. Drawing the illustrations was helpful - sometimes, I drew the picture before I wrote any story.
My routine was to try to write or draw every day. Originally, my idea was that all the drawings would be the title, but Paula, my editor, said it gave away too much of the story, so they were moved around within the text. They are naive drawings in the style of a child. I don’t regard myself as an illustrator.
If a soundtrack were made to accompany this book, name a song or two you would include.
Roy Orbison - Crying REM or the Corrs- Everybody hurts Luke Kelly - Raglan Road Van Morrison - These are the Days The Laughing Policeman - he was a favourite on the Sunday Morning Children’s Requests.
What did you enjoy most about writing A Deaf in the Family?
When I would hand Joyce a story in rough draft and wait for the reaction. Surprising myself sometimes with an ending. I was surprised and pleased with the way some of the stories turned out. I enjoyed doing the drawings - adding the little bits of colour, and the whimsical nature of some of them.
What did you do to celebrate finishing the book?
It is such a long process - not just the writing - but the editing process and the publishing process, it was a relief to finally have it in print. It was a celebration giving it to my Grandkids to read, and they laughed. ‘It’s funny, Grandpa’ was lovely to hear. It should have been on the back cover. I bought two patties and chips, wrapped them in an extra layer of newspaper, and parked outside my Grandad’s old house. I sat there eating and the memories flooded back.
What is the favourite book you have read this year, and why?
I dip in and out of Brian Turner’s poetry. Having met him in Oturehua brings it more to life. Water by John Boyne. His writing and storytelling is sparse and effective. Sebastian Barry’s The Lives of the Saints. His writing is beautiful.
What’s next on the agenda for you?
I would like to work on a more performance style of book reading. I would like to develop some of the stories that I didn’t use in the book. I would like to write about Pop Rimmer who lived over the road from Grandad. They were both World War 1 veterans. He brought back a bag of dirt and poppy seeds from Gallipoli and grew them in his garden. I once asked him if he had any medals and he told me they were buried under the poppies. I would like to do another art exhibition.