David de Poel - Oefeningen in dapperheid

2022, David de Poel, Dutch, Renate Stoute, René Stoute,

Original title: "Oefeningen in dapperheid: Biografie van René/Renate Stoute" (Exercises in bravery: Biography of René/Renate Stoute)

"In his desire to escape the petty bourgeois existence of his parents, René Stoute (1950-2000) began to use opium and later heroin. He paid for it with money he obtained by breaking in and forging checks. In prison, he discovered himself as a writer.

In 1982 she published "On the Back of Dirty Swans", the iconic collection of stories about the junkie existence that won the Golden Donkey's Ear as the best-selling debut. Unfortunately, she didn't just struggle with drug addiction. Since her earliest childhood, she felt that deep down she was a woman. It wasn't until she turned 40 that she dared to perform a sex-changing operation that she hoped would make her happy."

"A complex personality, that's what you can call Stoute. She lived a life full of contradictions. In the introduction to the biography, De Poel describes that life as a series of exercises in bravery. "Behind that bravado school was an anxious person who felt trapped in her shame and limitations. To break free from that prison, she forced herself to be brave." De Poel finds it remarkable that the people who were very close to Stoute all paint a different picture. "Although of course, every person has different sides. Still, I think I managed to interpret her personality." What appeals most to De Poel himself is Stoute's writing. "Naughty was a great author. In addition, we share the love for literature, visual arts and music. I also recognize that loneliness, that wandering around on the streets. At one point it felt like René could have been a friend of mine. I've never been addicted myself, but I could very well have become one.""

"Writing this book was one big journey of discovery for De Poel. "So much has happened in René/Renate's short life, it was three lives in one. I have been working endlessly on the text. The manuscript was far too long at first. You sometimes have to make a lot of effort to track down a certain letter and then you regret throwing it out again. Yet you can't escape that.

At the end of the day, it's about the book, about the reader. I'm still working on it a lot now because it's a tough story, especially for the people around Stoute. I've been awake because of course, I've made discoveries that are painful and confronting." De Poel has chosen not to have his manuscript read in advance by too many people, afraid as he was of interventions in his text. "A biography has to be honest, as a writer you shouldn't make it more beautiful than it is.""

Available via bol.com

and biografieportaal.nl

Photo via biografieportaal.nl