Carl Hancock Rux is a literary Renaissance man. Having garnered accolades in spoken word poetry and playwriting, he is now establishing himself as a novelist. A legendary voice at NYC's Nuyorican Poets Cafe, and Obie-award winning author of the play Talk, Rux somehow found time to speak to us at Street -- albeit in between shows, because he also has an album, Apothecary Rx, out as well.
Rux's latest novel, Asphalt, tells the story of a young reserved DJ, Racine, as he wanders through a devastated and war-torn New York. Racine embarks on relationships with several curious characters in a decaying house in post-war Brooklyn. He meets Manny, the sexually ambiguous leader of the pack with an elegant and vast knowledge of architectural history. Manny punctuates the story with his drug-induced exploits at the lush and intense house parties at which Racine creates the sonic background. Racine also finds complicated love and denial in Couchette, a dramatic exotic dancer unwilling to accept her past. In the end, we realize Racine is quiet because of his own fear of confronting reality.
In Asphalt, Rux creates a novel with beautiful urban lyricism. While it is clearly influenced by the conventions of the classical cannon, Rux blends Greek mythology with modern sensibilities. The story is based on Hippolytus' Phaedra as re-written by J. P. Racine. Hippolytus' is thrown from Mycenae and on his journey he is attacked and dismembered by an overbearing, demonic monster. As Rux puts it, Hippolytus needs to lose pieces of himself in order to continue on quest, which is a central theme that links the characters together.
The story itself is both arresting and disorienting. The cryptic opening scenes illustrate Rux's masterful use of language, yet leave the reader only vaguely aware of what is happening. Among Asphalt's strengths are the intricate party scenes and Racine's moments with Couchette. Upon finding residence, Racine begins to DJ at incredible house parties that bring in a range of personalities in NYC's post-industrial landscape. Here, we are privy to pool table orgies with Racine mixing A Tribe Called Quest and Portishead. The descriptive quality of these scenes is remarkable, with strong economy of language.
Rux uses Couchette, a woman who is shown to be incapable of confronting her own demons, as the tool to chip away at Racine's constructed reality. Through this unlikely pair we are able to witness the universal tensions that arise in any relationship. And Couchette's questioning and intense nature forces Racine to recognize his abusive past and uncertain future.
New York is a collapsed and sighing shell of its former self as its' inhabitants struggle with their own issues. Rux points us to the larger picture as he notes that New York is metaphor for the turmoil of the story's protagonist. Interestingly, the vulnerability of the main character reflects the author's own problems with his early traumas.
Rux, who grew up in foster care and has suffered the loss of his brother to AIDS and his mother to schizophrenia, excelled creatively, attended Columbia University and went on to win acclaim for his groundbreaking work. However, reading his novel it becomes apparent that Asphalt is as much a reflection of personal tumult for the author as it is for Racine. Rux discusses the fact that there was no "couple" in his early years framing his family life, and that his existence was not "intended;" he was not a planned or even welcomed presence. Yet he speaks with admirable candor about his circumstances and the time it took him time to reach this point.
Asphalt is a triumph in several senses. It is a piece of true urban literature that appeals to the jaded sensibilities of a young modern reader. Ultimately, it shows how important it is to lose parts of yourself in order to continue forward.
