on Feb 11th, 2006J.P. Donleavy, The Recluse Muse Winks
Recluse is a strange word that begs for a tantalizing story or at least a hushed conversation in the back of a pub (I almost wrote smoky, but politics, man). The author J.P. Donleavy is often described as a recluse, someone who achieved fame and then promptly pulled a J.D. Salinger. Wow, breakthrough! Maybe it has something to do with starting your name with two initial letters. Or maybe it has to do with the fact that fame and recognition can instantly destroy your ability to observe life unobserved.
The irony, of course, is that watching movies is a purely voyeuristic act. So if The Ginger Man makes it to the screen with Johnny Depp, it will only whet our appetite to know more of Mr. Donleavy. Being 80 would normally tease out a profound desire to acknowledge your existence. I guess a major article, accompanied by a photo, is a wink of the eye. Right back at ya, J.P.!
But sometimes even the most tenacious recluse succumbs to the temptations of the outside world. J. P. Donleavy, the American author who skyrocketed to international fame half a century ago with “The Ginger Man,” his debut novel, remains a cult figure in Ireland, the country that has provided the setting for much of his work, and one that clings fondly to its literary celebrities — especially the notorious ones.
Now, two months before his 80th birthday, Mr. Donleavy is back in the limelight. After several abortive efforts, a promising attempt is under way to make a film version of “The Ginger Man,” starring Johnny Depp and directed by Laurence Dunmore, who recently worked with Mr. Depp on “The Libertine.”
J. P. Donleavy Approaches 80, Anything but Gingerly
By BRIAN LAVERY
New York Times, February 11, 2006