Handler visits France !

[thedoctororwell]

Lemony Snicket visits France.

*Carmina Burana on*

Source : rendezvous.fnac.com/agenda_magasin.asp?Origin=fnacaff&SHP=21

He'll be appearing on October the First in Paris, counting from 17 and a half, at the FNAC store, a building located on the Saint-Lazare street.

Spread the word.French fans of Asoue from the infamous forum "La Pente Glissante" will appear and give gifts to the criminal that once got them together. If you want, a translation of our report will be posted here.

[Gigi]

C'est magnifique!

Be sure to take pictures too!

[Dante]

Congratulations! Of course we'll want to hear all about it.

[jemima]

Awesome! I'll tell my French friend to go.

[thedoctororwell]

Apparently there will be quite few people there. So we may have the chance to realize an actual interview !
Here are the questions we plan to ask :


ABOUT WRITING

1) Which masterpiece of litterature did you enjoy the most the moment you read it ? That bill where they mistakenly added a zero at the right side of you wage does not count.

2) Do you have usually many projects on your head at the same time or do you move from one book to next book ?

3) If you were to write new books about the universe where the Baudelaire children live in – what would they look like ? Full-lenght novels ? Short stories ? Companion guides ? How much of its original material would you be ready to re-use : characters, places ?...

4) Do you plan ahead a lot when you write or do you allow improvisation to have its word ?

5) Did you ever regret A Series of Unfortunate Events to outshadow your other works ? Did you suffer any kind a pressure because of its success ?

6) Do you think you’ve found your own way of writing or do you want to try completely different styles and subjects in the future ?

7) Which of these do you consider the hardest to convey : plot, characterisation, style, or message ?

ABOUT THE PLOT

1) There are many loose-ends in the very complicated plot of A Series of Unfortunate Events. Did you write these mysteries with no clear solution in mind, knowing you would not resolve them ? Or do you have for some of them your own opinions or ideas though you didn’t include in the Series ?

2) Most of the people involved in one side of the schism seem to be evil criminals with no moral values : Count Olaf, Esmé Squalor, the Man with Beard but no hair… One could wonder what they have to do with VFD at all. Did VFD commit moraly questionable acts before the schism ? Did it happen because of that ?

3) The sugar bowl seems to be an important artifact and many people want to get their hands on it. Why then does Esmé consider it to be her property, making his theft by Beatrice such a big deal ?

4) Some people are confused with the technology level of the universe Lemony Snicket lives in. What in your opinion does not exist in this universe ?

5) We have no way to find out if it is true or not, of course, but Lemony Snicket seems to be quite emotional and partial. It is possible that he acted as an unreliable narator on some points ?

6) Did Beatrice had only one reason not to marry Lemony, or several ? Were they victims of temporal circumstances or were they more personal reasons on Beatrice’s side ?

7) The books sometimes suggest that Lemony is writing them a long time after the described events. However there are several details which lead us to the conclusion he began pusblishing his work a relatively short time after the Baudelaire fire. Can we assume that what we read nowadays is a mix of notations, comments and reports put together and written at very different times, as his researches on the case kept going ?

HUMOUROUS QUESTIONS

1) Is Lemony Snicket still on the run ? And, if so, what is his presidential program despite a tempting immediate demission ?

2) The Beatrice Letters revealed Lemony Snicket’s infamous past as a cheerleader. Has Lemony Snicket done anything we should know acting as a cheerleader ? Is it an effective disguise ? Should we beware of cheerleaders ? Are they dangerous to our society ?

3) We’ve witnessed for a long time now Lemony Snicket’s ability to always appear from the back on photographs. In what circumstances did he learn this mysterious defensive martial art ?

4) Lemony Snicket repeatively asks his reader not to read his awful works. Apparently this strategy doesn’t seem to work well, judging by his distressing number of readers. Which new anti-marketing strategy would you advise to reduce it ?

5) J.K.Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, blew our minds when she revealed Albus Dumbledore to be an homosexual. Some lunatics keep propaging the rumor that Lemony Snicket might actually be an optimistic, happy-go-lucky, stuffed animals store owner. Is that the inconvenient and incredible truth ?

6) People who read Lemony Snicket’s works keep dying in suspicious accidents. What is the most awkward, strangest untimely death one ever suffered because of his interest in the Baudelaire case ?

7) If Lemony Snicket were to receive a free dancing platypus, how would he use it ?

[Dante]

I'd maybe place low priority on a couple of the more nitpicky questions (and Handler's an expert at avoiding difficult questions), but the cheerleader one is excellent, and certainly these are the sorts of things I'd like to hear answered.

[thedoctororwell]

WOW !
So we finally went to see Handler. He had never ever visited a non-english-speaking country before, am I right ?

I'll post a detailled report later - expect updates. All I can say is that we got a chance which in my opinions many american fans didn't. Here's why :

There were less than 30 people in the room where the meeting took place, including Handler himself. As we had arrived quite early we were able to book places on the first row... Seeing Handler from that distance was hilarious ; great facial expressions, and, my, this tie... Dark pink with dots and flowers ! There were some adults, 9 people from our french forum about Asoue including me, some children with their parents... On the stage were Handler, the interviewer and the french translator for Asoue. In front of them was a woman called Beatrice - talk about coincidences - who translated everything from english to french and vice-versa. They used microphones.

Handler did not do his usual comedy about Lemony Snicket sending his official representative because he couldn't go. Instead he was introduced as Lemony Snicket and talked as if he indeed was. However the interviewer adressed to him as Daniel Handler. This caused very funny discussions about the difference between the narrateur (the person saying the story to the reader, who can be an actual character) and the auteur (the real person who writes the story). Some times he responded as the auteur, sometimes as the narrateur-character. It was both confusing and funny. I quote from memory :
"Well let me try to explain. The relation there is between Lemony and me is a lot like the relation between me and France. We're both on the same planet, we know each other really well. And we can go to each other's place if we want to. But should we do that, neither of us would understand what is being said at this place !"

There was an official interview, than they began to hand the microphone to whoever in the audience wanted to ask something to Lemony. There were so little people I managed to get the microphone three times ! Then they said it was time for signatures. We headed in lines and talked with Handler as he signed our books. We had some time to do it, as there were again not many people.

The Interview :

Handler was insanely funny, and showed his usual master skills at not responding questions and demonstrating so hilarious a wit he became to me like Dorothy Parker made man.
We already knew that DH would never answer questions about loose ends in the plot, so we didn't bother.

Q: So it's THE END. But THE END, was it intended to be like that ? Did you know from the start how your story was going to develop and end ?
A: Well, uh, I have a particular exemple in mind. You see, when cops find a corpse on the street, they draw white lines around it to keep the shape. I dunno if you understand what I'm saying, do they do that in France ?
Interviewer : (conforting gaze) But of course we do ! Don't worry !
A: Ah, that's great. I mean, if I were to be killed that night they'd draw the lines. I'm relieved now. I was scared at a time. I can bre killed with a clear conscience. As for your question, if the plot was a corpse, then I knew when I started the series what would be the general shape of the overall plot. But the details ? I allowed myself some improvisation on that. But yeah, the series went on where I intended her to go in the beginning.

Q: We know you deliberatly developped subplots with the intention to never resolve them. Can you just tell us at least if you wrote them with no idea about their possible explanations in mind or if you actually had some ideas on that at times ?
A: I tend to consider questions much more interesting than answers... Which drives us to the prior option, isn't it ? I mean, it would be much more fun to chat about how I came to die this night than for the young lady with the striped gloves at the first rank to tell you right from the start how and why she did that to me.
Audience : (laughs)
Mother of the girl : Her name is Julie, by the way.
A: Frankly, I don't want to hear any details...
Audience : (laughs)
A: Ha-ha. (most worried and hypocritical smile I've ever witnessed !)
Audience : (laughs)
A: (Back to blasé.)

Q: When will "The Littlest Elf" finally be published ?
A: Never. Ever ever. This book is too sirupy for your own good. But it is quite precious, because it proves us that there are actually books more dangerous and nocive than my accounts of the lives of the Baudelaire children.

MORE TO COME LATER

[Dear Dairy]

This is wonderful! More! More!

[Gigi]

And pictures, too! Please tell me you took pictures.

[Dante]

That sounds like an excellent experience, and I look forward to hearing more.

[thedoctororwell]

UPDATE :

Photos (thanks to Prunette !)
Tie of doom

Just to give you an idea about how small the room was... We were at the first rank, it's us on the front row. You can actually see Handler's back near the door.
img519.imageshack.us/my.php?image=videoisa010aj5.jpg

Photos (thanks to Elrond_SmithVFD !)




Videos (thanks to Prunette !)
fr.youtube.com/watch?v=Fyn-DQaRYEg
fr.youtube.com/watch?v=JIUYvPmpxBw

Questions to the french translator about Sunny becoming Prunille in the french books.
Translator : Well I think it's about time I make a confession. I had no problem with Sunny being Sunny at the start. But it turned out that there is something in France that doesn't exist in America. And that thing was the brand name of my dishes-whashing liquid. Sunny. It's quite well-known. And each I had to write and read the name Sunny I thought about the dishes-washing liquid. It disturbed me so much I decided to change the name. All I can say is that it seemed a good idea to me at the start. I probably wouldn't re-do it if I could go back in time.
Daniel Handler : Well at least I'm glad the Baudelaire parents are not there anymore to suffer the incredible insult that is the renaming of their own child...

Me : Why did you turn "Kevin" the ambidextrous freak into "Otto" ?
French Translator : Yeah... Well, there are a lot of Kevins. He's a pretty antipathetic character, and I didn't want people with the name Kevin to feel insulted sharing their name with such a mean guy. So I chose Otto instead, but also because this name can be read the same way backwards, which is appropriate for an ambidextrous person.
Me : And then... It turned out Daniel Handler named his son "Otto" some time later...
Daniel Handler : I my son comes to France one day I'll remind him to introduce himself as Kevin so that people don't categorize him as a mean person.
French translator : (akward silence)

French translator : Well translating this series has been an incredible adventure. I've been living with this man for six years now !
Audience : (laughs)
Daniel Handler : Yeah, she can joke about it. Because working with me is an exhausting experience. You don't even realize what this implies. Each morning this woman had to run for one hour in the cold wind... So that she would be warmed up in order to jump into the water and swim all the way down from France to the USA, fighting the Atlantic Ocean, and then run for another hour to go back to the right temperature. And then she would do the same thing backwards to go back to her home. Every SINGLE DAY. Do you realize the MENTAL STATE this woman has been driven into ? Do your realize the nature of her MENTAL HEALTH now ? She's a WRETCH ! The most pitiful creature that ever had to live ! And do you know why ? Why ? BECAUSE OF THIS !!!
(Handler holds up a french Asoue book)
Audience : (applauses)
Daniel Handler : No ! WRONG ! Wrong ! You got it all wrong ! INTERPOOOOOOL !

Interviewer : Well then, it's been the end of the series for Lemony Snicket. But maybe it's only over for Lemony. Maybe you could write books on the same subject with another character-narrateur.
Daniel Handler : Maybe I already have.
Interviewer : Wow ! Now all we have to do is to search for this mysterious "author."
Daniel Handler : FLAUBEEEEEERT...
Interviewer : OMG ! Emma Bovary, that was you !!!
Daniel : I didn't say that.

Daniel Handler : So yeah the anti-marketing strategy is most important. These are dangerous books. People must know what they're dealing with. (takes a french Asoue book) So that's why I always put warnings in the letter at the back of the boo -- What the hell ? THER'S NO WARNING AT THE BACK OF THIS BOOK !
Interviewer : Yeah, it's a paperback edition ---
Daniel Handler : (throws the book in disgust and moves back as if he had touched the son of Satan)

Daniel Handler : You know, my favorite part in Robinson Crusoe is when Robinson wakes up on the beach after his wreck. He sees the remains of his boat floating in the distance, right on the nearby sea, and decides to go and look for items that could be useful to him. So he takes out all of his clothes -- I'm not going to demonstrate here, don't worry - swims to the remains, picks up some items, put them in his pockets and swims back to the beach. But... Can someone explain to me how you can have pockets when you're naked ? Or was Robinson a kangouroo ?
Interpret : (begins to translate ; as she utters "demonstrate," Daniel fakes taking off his shirt with a sexy male-stripper glare)

A guy holds his hand in the public.
Q: Uh, sorry, actually this wasn't a question.
Interviewer : Apparently this is a no-question.
Daniel Handler : I suggest a no-answer then.
Interviewer : Well un-answered.

Daniel Handler : (answering a question a young girl asked him about Beatrice whithout actually answering it).
Mother of the girl : (haughty) I'm sorry but you didn't answer my daughter.
Daniel Handler : I'm sorry, but it seems to me that you're interceding in a strictly personal conflict between your daughter and me, on which you have no role whatsoever. But if you insist, I can call my own mommy so you can argue with her. It's your own right, I suppose.

At the signing :

Me : I've got two gifts for you ! One for Daniel Handler... There, it's a letter with a poem about an hanging inside it...
Daniel Handler : I'm looking forward to read it.
Me : I know your tastes well. And another one for Lemony Snicket.
Daniel Handler : Okay, I'll give it to him when I see him. But what is that exactly ?
Me : I thought about something he actually needed. So, yeah. That's it. A box of anti-depressent pills.
Daniel Handler : I might just swallow the whole lot then.

Me : My books are full of scribbles...
Daniel Handler : Don't feel ashamed. All the Asoue books I sign are filled with scribbles.
Me : Then that's fine. Maybe you're going to think I'm crazy, but -- but I actually tried to make the plot of the series make sense.
Daniel Handler : I don't think you're crazy, but you undoubtly have a gigantic task ahead of you.

Q: I just wondered who was your favorite character in the series...
A: Oh, I tend to give a special place in my heart to the very minor characters... The ones mentionned only one to three times in a sole book. Who's yours ?
Q: Georgina Orwell...
A: Oh yeah. We're actually trying to fit her in the second movie at the moment...
Q: What ? There's actually going to be a second movie ?
A: At the time being it's mostly talking and discussion about it, but it's not at all ruled out.

Member of our forum : For Marceau.
Daniel Handler : Marceau ? How do you spell that ?
Member of our forum : (writes it on a paper) See ? Like Sophie Morceau...
Daniel Handler : And like that mime, there, Marcel Marceau... Are they related, I wonder ?
French translator : YEAH ! They are !
Everyone : Uh, no, actually, they aren't.
Daniel : So in France "yes" means "no" ?

[Dante]

Amazing. Handler is brilliant. Thanks for relating all this to us; you've had an incredible opportunity.

[s]

"I'm sorry, but it seems to me that you're interceding in a strictly personal conflict between your daughter and me, on which you have no role whatsoever. But if you insist, I can call my own mommy so you can argue with her. It's your own right, I suppose."

Burn!

[thedoctororwell]

UPDATE :

The Official Video of the interview :
www.fnaclive.com/videos/35304

* I just have to say it was actually MUCH longer than that. Around, like, at least 45 hilarious minutes.
* Why couldn't they use subtitles ? Damn...
* The little black girl you see at 0:51 was actually the daughter of the woman Handler put back in her proper place (see my other posts) when he talked about Beatrice. ^^
* Many members of the french forum La Pente Glissante appear in that video. You can see me from the back, I'm the guy with the striped sweat-shirt in the middle at 1:30.