Frank Owen is a wonderfully interesting Brit. His books and articles take on subjects that most of us are horrified by, yet like voyeurs, we lap it up. He's a speed talker, so you have to listen carefully to keep up. Otherwise you might miss a hilarious bit of inside information or an amazing sociological correlation. If you read the site, you know that I typically gush over my reviews of his books. It's embarrassing, but there you go. After speaking, my opinion of him as a writer, storyteller and all around fun guy remains unchanged.
Diva: You write a lot about the seamier side of life. Talk to me a little about that.
FO: Well, I grew up on the streets of Manchester in England. I was used to street life. I was a music critic for 10 years and I was bored with it. And, I'll be honest with you, I like the danger aspect of it. There is a certain amount of a thrill to pursuing a story that people don't want you to have.
But also philosophically, I've always been attracted to darker things. They're more interesting. So, sure, I don't have a rosy view of human nature. The devil has all the best stories. The trouble with journalism in this country is that journalists come a from a very small class segment. They all went the same schools, they all learned to write the same way and they all write the same stories.
How I got the Playboy gig... I was still at the Voice [Village Voice] - on the outs. Jam Master J was murdered over a drug deal gone bad. I broke the story. He was broke, wasn't making much money from his music. Some guy fronted him a bunch of cocaine. He took it to Baltimore and passed it on to a guy who was going to sell it for him. Well, the guy ran off. Jam Master J got killed over the money. Playboy had a writer on the story and he got freaked out. He had kids and he said it was too dangerous. And I'll tell you [laughs], these were some scary guys. Playboy called john Leland at the New York Times to see if he had any leads. Leland recommended me. I don't get scared. I find bureaucrats scarier.
I've been lied to by copes and prosecutors far more than I've been lied to by criminals. It's easier to get the truth from criminals. Most true crime has been told from the perspective of the cops and the victims. I like to tell it from the criminal's point of view.
Diva: I think that's why your books are so much more compelling and interesting than the average true crime book. They're much more than about a crime or series of crimes. They're really interesting stories.
FO: Ah, well, thank you. I think there is a certain wish fulfillment in reading about crime. There's a sneaky admiration for the criminal in this country. It's always has been lawless. If you look back at it, there's almost a kind of epic quality to the crime in this county. But, crime has changed a lot.
|
|
|
Diva Interviews