Dayvid Figler

(continued)

Interview by Jarret Keene

Let's talk about the ending.

Hey, let's not give it away!

Well, for the sake of a rigorous interview, it seems like the characters retreat from the carnal world of strip clubs to a more conservative...

But see, dude, I don't think that they do. I think they retreat to a place that's very similar to the place they came from; it's just that there are different vestments, different rituals. I don't think that they're going to a more conservative place at all. They're going to a place that encourages a certain type of fulfillment that's just as unattainable. It's a natural place for them to go. They go in just as cynical, just as smart, as they did when they entered the strip club.

Ostensibly, they go to a different place, yes. But I think the reader will figure out that there's very little difference. These characters are always groping — always looking for that thing, that knowledge, that state — that's just beyond their reach.

How autobiographical is Grope?

Oh, it's completely autobiographical. I have received two hand jobs in strip clubs!

I love how you play with the names of actual, established Vegas strip clubs. Original Eden's Gentleman's Club is a variation of downtown's Olympic Garden.

I was just having fun with making lists. A lot of that stuff just got washed out as the book was coming together. It's fun to play around with Las Vegas history, since a lot of historical stuff is taken for granted or ignored. Also, I'm a bit of an historian of modern Vegas, and the city is so ever-changing that I thought it was important to get some of it down now. And I like to be funny. It's just a little wink; I'm not trying to be clever about it. There was no legal reason to change the names. I did it because I could.

What are your plans now? Are you really going to write a whole series of Vegas stories?

I love Vegas as a setting. Maybe I'll write some stories about obvious places that take odd turns. There's a lot of rich stuff here that has yet to be tapped into. I think all the parachute novelists and journalists — even those who spend a considerable amount of time here — only take what is on the surface. There are great writers who have written great things, of course, but they haven't yet gone deep into the cave, down into the mine. Katy Lederer's poetry book, Winter Sex, is a great example, I think, of someone who gets down in there.

Finally, though, it seems that there are local writers — writers raised or based in Las Vegas — who are doing it right. The hardest thing about Las Vegas is that it's too easy to write about. I want to figure out a way to make it harder so I can get to some good stuff.

You once told me that art critic Dave Hickey was particularly brutal on early drafts of Grope.

Dave Hickey was very brutal. I was taking a few writing classes from him at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and he really zeroed in on all the problems I knew existed beforehand, and then he found others. He was poignant, direct, and, yes, harsh. He had a couple of nice words to say, and Grope took on some new contours as a result of his feedback. So I appreciate Dave's help. Hopefully, he'll give me a blurb for the next book!

He wouldn't give you one for Grope?

Oh, no. Dave has exceptionally high standards.

Now the most important question: Will Grope enable you to enjoy better treatment at Vegas strip clubs?

I think it'll get me disbarred. I think I'm going to lose my law license over this little novella. No, like a food critic, the strip clubs are going to hate me. No one wants the reality. It's an indictment on some level, sure, but it's just one person's perspective.

I have a fascination with the various sin industries in Las Vegas, how they straddle the line between being naughty and being commercial. Exposing that it's all flash isn't my intention. Exploring what's behind the flash is.

Dayvid Figler's Grope is available at your local bookstore and via Amazon.com.