INTERVIEWS

We spoke with Gorian about the publication last November by "Aux Forges de Vulcain" of his French translation of the novel "Le Poète en Exil" by Ray Manzarek (1939-2013), keyboardist and co-founder of THE DOORS.

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BOOK SUMMARY :

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"Roy, the co-founder of one of the greatest rock groups in history, never recovered, despite his denials, from the death of his friend, the singer of the said iconic group, which occurred in Paris, in the early 1970s. Many years later, he received an enigmatic postcard from the other side of the world, which rekindled hope in him. Was this disappearance just a subterfuge to escape the circus? media? Roy takes a plane ticket to join this mysterious sender and lead the investigation. Ray Manzarek, in this moving short novel, gives to read a moving eulogy of rock, of one of its stars extinguished too soon, and of friendship, beyond death."

"An extremely moving and surprising novel" - Los Angeles Times.

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WHO IS GORIAN DELPATURE? :

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Gorian Delpâture is a Belgian journalist and literary columnist working at RTBF. He is the author of AbécéDOORS (Lamiroy - 2017, 180° Editions - 2020) and the short essay "Jim Morrison: an American poet" (Lamiroy - 2021).

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INTERVIEW :

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PF : "The Poet in Exil" is a short novel by Ray Manzarek (keyboardist and co-founder of The Doors) originally released in 2001. How do you explain this choice to translate it 20 years later?

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GD : It's a novel that I had read in English as soon as it came out in 2001. I had found the original idea brilliant: to play with the story of the Doors and the death of Jim in Paris then transform reality into fiction to explore an alternate reality. I had even started translating the book for my pleasure at the time. A few months ago, I exchanged a few messages about the Doors with the editor of Les Forges de Vulcain, David Meulemans. I mentioned to him the existence of this novel which had never been translated into French and I offered to translate it. David read the book in English, was enthusiastic and gave me the translation. I am honored and happy!

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PF : Do you think maybe a lot of tributes focus on Jim Morrison and less on Ray, who passed away in 2013?

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GD: It's quite logical that we focused on Jim this year. It was the 50th anniversary of his death and, like it or not, he was the figurehead of the Doors. Contrary to his will, it is his face that continues to appear on T-shirts and posters. But the Doors wouldn't have been such a magical band without Manzarek, Krieger and Densmore. I find it important that this "Poet in Exile" by Manzarek is finally translated. He wasn't just a musician. He was also a writer and that's a great way to pay tribute to him.

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PF : Ray Manzarek had an undeniable talent as a storyteller which is felt not only in interviews but also in "Le Poète en Exil". The author sprinkles in his text small references both personal and in connection with the Doors, which makes the whole quite moving. Did you also feel that way before you started translating?

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GD : Let's be clear, Ray Manzarek is not Shakespeare. If that had been the case, I would never have dared to embark on this translation. But he was an excellent storyteller. Its chapters are linked at full speed and the short novel reads very quickly, which is always a good sign. It is a superb novel about the friendship between two men beyond the years. It is a very moving text. And, even if it's fiction, you're right, Ray Manzarek slipped in a whole bunch of disguised references to the real history of the Doors. Which makes the novel even more exciting for Doors fans. I had fun listing them all and explaining them in the "Translator's Notes" slipped at the end of the book.

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PF : In France, the name of Ray Manzarek is certainly less evocative than that of Jim Morrison, how did the rapprochement with David Meulemans of the "Aux Forges de Vulcain" editions take place?

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GD : I offered him the book during an exchange on social networks. David knew little about The Doors and was completely unfamiliar with the novel. He researched the Doors and became a fan! He read Manzarek's novel in English and then contacted Jeff Jampol, the Doors manager to obtain the translation rights. I don't have all the details, but the price originally asked by representatives of Ray Manzarek's beneficiaries was very high. They lowered their claims a bit and David raised his starting bet a bit, which allowed us to get the rights. During that time, I was translating the text on my side. It took me two weeks. Then, David, the novelist Claire Duvivier and I reviewed the proofs several times. And we even received the support of the Center National du Livre, which is great recognition of the work accomplished.

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PF : Without spoiling the readers' pleasure, the novel, although it never explicitly mentions the names of the members of the Doors and their entourage, seems to have a utopian and biographical side in which a hypothetical Jim Morrison would not have died in Paris. in the summer of 1971 but would have gone to live in exile on a paradise island.

This theory of a disguised death is one of the most discussed by many hopeful fans who refuse to believe the unimaginable. According to you, Jim Morrison is really dead and buried in Paris?

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GD : Obviously I wasn't there. And I personally did not conduct a field survey. But I read a lot on this subject to write the parts concerning the death of Morrison in the two editions of my “AbécéDOORS”. I am convinced that Jim did indeed die in Paris on July 3, 1971. There is no doubt about it. And my instinct as a journalist pushes me to follow the trail of death in the apartment on rue Beautreillis with Pamela Courson. I don't believe for half a second in death in the toilets of the Circus. Pamela felt guilty for Jim's death for the rest of her short life. Did Jim die of cardiac arrest following hot and cold (thesis of the doctor present on the scene and accredited by the numerous testimonies of Jim's poor health) or of an accidental heroin overdose following an argument with Pamela? Or a mixture of both? The truth must be there...but it is not for me to affirm it.

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PF : Gorian, we see you more and more active in the Doorsian sphere. You are also the author of AbécéDOORS, an exhaustive guide made up of several entries like a dictionary that gives a lot of information and anecdotes about the group.

You have now just released the translation of "Poète en Exil" and you are invited to speak about DOORS during numerous interviews. Has the Californian quartet become a bit of a second family for you in recent years?

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GD : It's been my favorite band for over 20 years, it's true. And my various publications related to the Doors have transformed me into a "reference person" on the Doors in Belgium, and sometimes a little in France. As I am a journalist, I am also what is called “a good client” in interviews or conferences. And I love this group and Morrison's literary connections so much that I never refrain from talking about it and highlighting the literate dimensions of the Doors. I am immensely flattered that you place the Doors in my “second family”. It may be a bit exaggerated but, honestly, I am very proud that David Meulemans and I were able to translate and present Ray's lovely novel to French-speaking readers. It is an honor and a privilege to be modestly associated with this touching book. Even translating it, I cried at the end...

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THANK YOU to Gorian Delpâture for answering our questions, as well as to David Meulemans of Editions Aux forges de Vulcain for the release of the translation of "Poète en Exil".

The book is available in bookstores and on all online sales platforms.

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Interview conducted by Pierre.