Writing. Making Music. Being a mom. Breaking hearts. My own, mostly.
Music
http://www.myspace.com/oneyedcats
Movies
Leaving Las Vegas. Natural Born Killers. Strangers in Paradise. Factotum. What About me. Blank Generation. The Color Purple. My Own Private Idaho. Trust. Aristocats.
Television
Marquee Moon and Adventure
Books
Ask the Dust. Wait Until Spring, Bandini. West of Rome. Women. Ham on Rye. You get so alone sometimes that it just makes sense. Love is a Dog from Hell. Howl. On the Road. Junky. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
Heroes
John Fante, Nina Simone, Ruth Brown, Hunter S. Thompson and Spider Jerusalem.
About me: I'm a Page Three girl. I'm a Warhol superstar. I'm a housewife with a jar of rat poison. I'm a bitchnik writer with 13 readers. I'm the singer of a dead band with bad recordings and messed up songs. I can get pretty much anything I want if I really want it. I never learned how to drive. I smell like vanilla. I never lived without a cat. My nails are always impecably red. I get bored easily. And if I think someone can be even close to get it, I'll throw myself out the window and expect to be caught on the sidewalk before I hit the ground.
Here's an excerpt of my second novel, Cat Life:
http://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/excerpt-cat-life
and this is my band - on studio now.
http://www.myspace.com/oneyedcats
there are my publishers in the UK
http://futurefiction.co.uk
and you can get my book here:
http://www.amazon.com/Cat-Life-Clarah-Averbuck/dp/0615243304/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220106086&sr=1-1
By the end of last decade, the Brazilian literature scenario was stagnant. The big established authors remained being big, and the new ones… Well, the new ones would always be new. Luckily, as it happens with rock n’ roll, renovation comes from outcasts.
The buzz started on Rio Grande do Sul, with an e-zine sent by email that quickly started gaining audience, “exporting” its authors to mainstream exposure. This e-zine, Cardoso OnLine, revealed Daniel Pellizzari, Daniel Galera and Clarah Averbuck.
Clarah, born in Porto Alegre on May 26th, 1979, wrote for magazines such as Showbizz, Trip and TPM. She also had a brief experience on acting, playing the part of a prostitute in the short movie “Nocturnu”, by Dennison Ramalho (who would later win an award in the Gramado Film Festival for another movie: “Amor só de Mãe”).
But the literature world wasn’t ready for Clarah Averbuck, and she would only make it through persistence and talent. She left Porto Alegre behind and moved to Sao Paulo. At the same time, CardosOnline came to an end after three years of existence, and Clarah begun her (now defunct) Brazileira!Preta blog, where she amassed an army of faithful readers.
Sao Paulo’s roughness and Clarah’s passion for literature resulted on “Pinball Machine”, published in 2002. The book tells the story of Camila, the author’s alter ego, and her non-stop race to find love (with only a few breaks for casual sex). Oh, and Camila also writes. And suffers. And drinks. And does drugs. “Self-reference and punk aesthetics are it's main characteristics, in a world full of night wanderers, outsiders, among others (of which artists are part of)”, said the “Folha de São Paulo” newspaper when the book was published. It was also highlighted in other papers, such as “O Estado de S. Paulo", "Gazeta do Povo" and "Zero Hora", as well as in countless magazines and websites, from Set (cult movie magazine) to UOL (Brazil's biggest Internet portal). “Being fucked up is having an article about you on the papers and not having the money to buy it”, complained Clarah on her blog.
Actor and director Antonio Abujamra has a similar opinion. “It’s hard to see contemporaneousness more poetic and Brazilian than this”, he wrote on the preface. “It’s a book that those who can see things, and those who can’t, will read as indispensable nourishment to devour their contentment.” And was through the hands of Abujamra and Alan Castelo that Pinball Machine made it to the stages of Rio de Janeiro. Not long after, Clarah received an offer from director Murilo Salles to another adaptation of her work, this time on film. You can check it out at http://www.figafilms.com/Pressbook%20CamilaJAM_english.pdf.
Right after the launching of Pinball Machine, a triad of events would change Clarah Averbuck’s life forever: she discovered the night club Fun House, and along with the place, one of the owners: Marcelo, who quickly became her boyfriend. In July of 2003, the couple had a daughter: Catarina.
Also on 2003, 7 Letras publisher, seing the worth and potential of Clarah’s blog Brazileira!Preta, launched "Das Coisas Esquecidas Atrás da Estante" (Of things forgotten behind the shelf), a collection of the blog’s entries (and some other texts). And, at the same time, Clarah was published abroad for the first time, in a Portuguese collection of very subtle name: "Putas" (Whores). She was also featured in the “25 Women that are Making the New Brazilian Literature” collection.
While waiting for the publication of "Vida de Gato" (Cat’s life), a semi-sequel to "Pinball Machine", Clarah resumed an old passion and founded the group “Jazzie & os Vendidos”, a rock band with a blues influence, with Clarah as the lead singer, Marcelo, her ex-husband, on guitar and their friend Jonas on sax. Besides original songs, they played their versions of classic (and not so classic) Ray Davies’, Faith No More's, Os Mutantes', Rolling Stones' songs and even some of The Color Purple soundtrack. In spite of that, Jazzie wasn’t about doing lots of curious covers and versions. It was about hearts and instruments. It ended in 2005, but Clarah has new projects and intends to keep this calling alive. Her new band, Oneyedcats (http://www.myspace.com/oneyedcats), is in studio recording their first album, produced by Dudu Marote, one of the most well known in Brazil. After all, she always made clear that music is just as important to her as literature, and not a temporary hobby.
Pinball Machine’s movie adaptation, called “Nome Proprio” (Camila Jam), was selected among 800 other projects by Instituto Telemar, and received a grant of one million Brazilian Reals (approximately U$ 450,000) to be made. It was released in the beginning of 2008 and received awards for best actress (to Leandra Leal, who played Camila), best art direction (Pedro Paulo de Souza) and best movie at the Gramado Film Festival.
Clarah has just published “Holy Mother of Little Death”, a peculiar piece of work made in partnership with illustrator Eva Uviedo. The book comes only in 200 limited copies, all signed, numbered and inside vintage vinyl albums (all scrupulously searched by her in thrift stores), along with texts and illustrations. All the pages come loose. Nowadays, Clarah is sick of blogging and dedicating her time to finish her new novel, “Eu Quero Ser Eu" (I want to be me), contempled by Petrobrás’ Cultural Program, and to be released by Cosac Naify. She also had her “Vida de Gato” translated to English and published by Future Fiction London (www.futurefiction.co.uk).
Who I'd like to meet: Carmen da Silva, Ella Fitzgerald, Cole Porter, John Fante, Nina Simone, Ruth Brown and some other dead folks.
Os Azuis de volta em São Paulo essa Sexta-feira, 10/07, na OUTS!!
Nós voltamos a SP esse final de semana, para um grande show na OUTS, com as bandas amigas nossas: Assinado Maria e Bazar Pamplona. A balada começa Meia Noite e o preço é 12 reais. Uma ótima noite de Sexta-Feira que vai dar o que falar, imperdível! Lembrando que a OUTS fica na R. Augusta, 486, Centro. É isso ai, celebrate that shit rockers!!
Os Azuis na OUTS, São Paulo, essa Sexta-feira, 10/07!!
Nós voltamos a SP esse final de semana, para um grande show na OUTS, com as bandas amigas nossas: Assinado Maria e Bazar Pamplona. A balada começa Meia Noite e o preço é 12 reais. Uma ótima noite de Sexta-Feira que vai dar o que falar, imperdível! Lembrando que a OUTS fica na R. Augusta, 486, Centro. É isso ai, celebrate that shit rockers!!
Mais som; de nome 'Inconsiente coletivo' contudo,é uma pequena amostra
dela própria, que ainda será lançada. Assim dentre em breve ouvirá a
continuação da mesma com o restante da letra, refrão, rimas, etc. E
mais: mixada!
Os Descolados do Mundo acabaram de finalizar a gravação da música "EU NÃO LIGO"! Essa música que está tendo grande repercussão e participação do público em nossos shows já está disponível em nosso myspace!
ACESSEM, ESCUTEM E SINTAM EM SUAS VEIAS A ADRENALINA DESSE SOM!!! ROCK 'N' ROLL!!!
Online Now!
