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 Interview with South African actress Gaynor YoungBy Merilyn Tomkins The name 'Gaynor' is Welsh for the English name Guinevere. In 1989, Gaynor Young, a promising South African actress and the understudy for the part of Guinevere, was asked to play the leading role with no prior dress rehearsal. Gaynor Young's life changed drastically when she tragically fell 18 metres on stage. In this interview, she shares her humor, her thoughts on life and her reasons for writing her best selling autobiography My Plunge to Fame. Read our review. MERILYN TOMKINS - Welcome, Gaynor and thank you for this interview. What compelled you to write My Plunge to Fame? GAYNOR YOUNG - They say I can't act because I'm deaf. Who are they trying to kid? Look at the Oscar winner Marlee Maitlin. As deaf as a doornail and she didn't allow her disability to stop her. It was this thought that prompted the writing of my book in 1990. Filled with righteous anger and needing to express myself, my first words were committed to paper. Looking at the finished product entitled My Deafness, I sat back and thought This is a masterpiece. My writing reveals sheer brilliance. I am going to write a book. I then proceeded to write my pieces of sheer brilliance, failing to see its immaturity of prose. I would proudly show these pieces to Shirley Johnston, a scriptwriter and acting friend. She would read them and gently encourage me with suggestions, which I ignored. After all, what did she know of my predicament? Years later, reconciled to the fact that I would never act again, I e-mailed Shirley the chapter that I had re-written on my deafness. She mailed me back a ruthless criticism. Gone were the days of gentle encouragement. I read her e-mail and thought: Gaynor, if you are truly serious about writing a book, you need Shirley to be your editor. Shirley agreed, and the writing of my book began. How did you feel and react when your publisher accepted your autobiography for publication? I couldn't believe it. This publisher thought that my story would be meaningful to others. Someone was prepared to put my thoughts and feelings in print. I no longer thought of my book as a masterpiece but I did believe in it. It was almost a relief to know that I hadn't been wrong. Was your family surprised to hear that your book was going to be published? I told Mum over the phone, then burst into tears. I hear very little on the phone anyway but when I cry I hear absolutely nothing. Working on this book had been a thrilling, depressing, exhilarating and frustrating time for me and my family was very aware of this. They were exuberant at my news. At last things were starting to go right. What is the best thing about being published? The best thing about being published is that I know that I can write. I now have a direction in life. I want to write books for children. I am now an author. Tell me the most exciting and memorable experience you have had since the release of your book. I walked into the room where the launch was being held and saw my book for the first time. I stood and stared, feeling this absurd wave of pride. All the memories of my life were captured within the covers of this book. I had to give a speech at the launch about my book. For weeks beforehand I tossed and turned in bed, literally paralysed with fear, trying to unscramble my thoughts. I don't know how to be an author. Authors, I imagine, should be able to utter remarks of great philosophical relevance. They should have this incredibly dry cynical wit. I did not fit into this category. So I had to appear simply as Gaynor Young. My speech went wonderfully, and not once did I have to look at my notes. The audience laughed at the things I had meant to be funny, and they also laughed at things I hadn't meant to be funny. Made me wonder. At the launch, we had an extraordinary turn out of people, far more than anticipated, and they all bought books - some buying three, five or even ten. I couldn't believe it. The memory of seeing my book for the first time and the Durban launch will always remain special for me. When you were writing PLUNGE did you have any doubts about its ultimate success? Of course I had doubts. Would people want to read about me? Shirley had told me that my life story was more fascinating than anything she could have dreamt up. One of the things that Shirley insisted on, was for me to tell the truth. In many cases that meant portraying myself as not such a nice person. But reluctantly, I did. And it is by telling the truth that my book has become a success. How does it feel to have gained the fame you were seeking? In 1989, a fortuneteller told me that I would become famous in a very big way in South Africa, in America and in England. It is ironic that I did become famous in a big way in South Africa, and a bit in America and England, not because of my acting as I had presumed, but rather because of my disastrous plunge off the stage. In the past ten and a half years, I have been featured prominently in the media. At first it was because of my disastrous fall; then because of my unbelievable recovery; and then because I made it back onstage again in a one woman show My Plunge to Fame; and finally, because of the publication of my book. So the fortuneteller's words proved to be. But I am not unhappy with my life now. It is merely a case of switching directions and making your way along a different path. Why do you think your autobiography is more popular than other autobiographies currently available? Is it? I haven't the faintest idea why that would be. How has your book been received in other parts of the world, such as in the United States for example? I wish my book was selling in the United States and England but I haven't reached that area of repute yet. But some books have made their way there via friends to people who have never heard of me. And the response has been amazing, they loved it. Do you plan to write another book since your autobiography is a great hit on the South African literary scene? Yes, definitely. I intend to write books for children. It's the one thing that I can actually do. How did you balance your writing time with your engagements as a speaker? I don't speak much, perhaps once every six weeks, so there was no problem. Any special plans - an overseas trip for example? I would like to find a publisher in Britain to publish my books for children. I would like to live in England so let's just see what happens. What advice would you give to people generally? Life is a great thing. If one is a paraplegic or even a quadriplegic one is still able to hear, to speak, to think, to feel. Life is still worth living. My accident has made me appreciate what it is to hear, to see, to move, to speak, to feel, to think - to live. I am so conscious of the beauty of living. I wish I had always known that. Are you proud of your book? I am so unbelievably proud - because I have brain damage and I managed to produce it. Oh, but you haven't really got brain damage, Gaynor. Yes, I have. I would sit there working for 3 hours with two paragraphs to show for it. I could have just about screamed with frustration. Then I would leave my computer for the afternoon, come back again that night - and behold - the word I had searched for would have found its way onto my keyboard. So, yes, I am very proud of my book. Thank you Gaynor, I think many readers will be eager to buy your book. |
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