The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1995, Side 15

SPRING/SUMMER 1995
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
125
books on history and ideas to get my facts
right. Even though I knew the French 18th
century, the same period in Iceland was
rather hazy in my mind. The Middle Ages
were clear in my mind, though, and I only
had to listen to them just as I listen to
the characters who
wanted to get into my
story but whom I
tried to keep out.
Like Jon Petur — he
simply had to be
there. When the story
was finished, I under-
stood why he had to
be there. But when
he first appeared, I
was very doubtful
and I sometimes
thought, “What is he
doing there?” I finally
said to myself, “Why
don’t you use this in-
truder in the novel?”
And then suddenly it
all went much better.
Generally, I make sev-
eral drafts, the first
draft is usually what I
intend to do. I may
eventually follow it or make certain
changes, but my first draft is not going to
change very much; except if I decide to
omit a part completely, which can happen.
I don’t throw anything away until I have
finished. I write by hand and only at a cer-
tain stage do 1 put my text into the word
processor.
Evelyn: In a small society like Iceland,
when people read your books, don’t they
immediately say: “who’s this, who’s that,
and whom is she referring to here?” — isn’t
that a problem when you write?
Alfrun: No, because my characters are
all fictitious. I don’t start with any living per-
son, but the characters are there — like
people you meet in a dream that you have
never seen in life. In Hvatt ab runum, I
started with Stefan He was the centre. I had
to come to him. It was like making a pil-
grimage toward his personality. It took five
years or so to write the novel because I was
also teaching at the same time. I like teach-
ing, but I have tried to keep my teaching
obligations to a mini-
mum because I want
to continue enjoying
teaching. Teaching is
a creative effort for
me and I feel drained
afterwards.
Evelyn: Does that
happen also when
you write?
Alfrun: Yes, I feel
very empty when I
am finished. I now
realize that I have to
feel empty because if
1 didn’t, I couldn't
fill up my reserves
again. It takes many
months. 1 never start
writing immediately
after I finish a book.
The book has to go
away first, I have to
forget it, to rid my
mind of it. Fortunately, it disappears by it-
self eventually and then I can start again,
but not before.
Evelyn: What has been the reaction to
your latest novel here in Iceland?
Alfrun: There aren’t many newspapers
left nowadays. Those critics who wrote
about the book responded thoughtfully
and clearly tried to come to grips with it.
But then I suppose that there must have
been readers who said that it was unread-
able and too intellectual for general con-
sumption.
Evelyn: Have you had any reaction from
Feminist critics about your women charac-
ters?
Alfrun: No, none. I consider writing to
be neither female nor male. So maybe peo-