June 26, 2020 · 8:49 am
↓ Jump to Comments

THE BLACK NARCISSUS INTERVIEW WITH FRAGRANTICA

 

Narcissus-Magazine-Gerard-van-Kuijl.png

 

 

An interview with the delightful John Biebel.

 

 

https://www.fragrantica.com/news/Author-Neil-Chapman-and-Perfume-In-Search-of-Your-Signature-Scent-13784.html

21 Comments

Filed under Flowers

21 responses to “THE BLACK NARCISSUS INTERVIEW WITH FRAGRANTICA”

  1. Robin
    June 26, 2020 at 10:19 am

    I like the way you come across.

    John asked some unusually original questions, which was refreshing. Loved the length and breadth of it, too. I wasn’t expecting such a good long interview. You really had a chance to stretch out and express much more than the usual Q and A.

    Fragrantica has a large following of devoted perfume lovers and this is just superb exposure. You must be chuffed, dearest N.!

    Reply
    • ginzaintherain
      June 26, 2020 at 10:29 am

      I mean I hadn’t long woken up so was rambling a tad incoherently I think…which comes across as he has quoted what I was saying verbatim. I felt the interview was short – we were just getting going and could easily have done a part 2, 3 and 4 (we have a lot in common).

      I was delighted that a perfume lover and writer like John derived such aesthetic pleasure from it all though – from the Narcissus and from Perfume, which is my ultimate goal. I am not a perfume PR person just churning out copy: that he describes it all as cinematic and immersive completely delights me. I have always been aiming for something more multidimensional and yet direct .

      Reply
      • Robin
        June 26, 2020 at 1:54 pm

        I kind of like the way the whole thing rambles around a bit. Much better than the usual regurgitated, simplistic, boring-as-shit sound bites. I did get that sense that it wrapped up when it was just gearing up. Maybe — hopefully — we’ll see another instalment. Or more.

        Good to see that John really got you. ‘Course, we’ve gotten you for years now.

      • ginzaintherain
        June 26, 2020 at 2:31 pm

        That is absolutely true. And I agree that smoothed down anodyne sound bites are boring AF.

        We actually did plan to have another video session but scheduling wouldn’t allow

  2. Nose Prose
    June 26, 2020 at 11:02 am

    Love this! I am almost done reading your book (cover to cover!, although I will be revisiting it more intentionally), and the interview sheds light on even more context. I wish you would do the part 2, 3, and 4!

    Reply
    • ginzaintherain
      June 26, 2020 at 11:03 am

      Oh good – thanks very much for saying this x

      I am very aware of all the book’s lacks, but hopefully it does also add up to something sensory and decadent – to while away a few minutes while perched on the toilet.

      Reply
  3. Carrie
    June 26, 2020 at 11:54 am

    I adore the book and it’s on my bedside table always but what I also wish for is a collection of all your blog posts in book form.

    Reply
  4. Old Herbaceous
    June 27, 2020 at 1:47 am

    Wonderful! I will read the full interview this weekend when I have time to savor it. I hope your book gains many more aficionados!

    Reply
  5. brielle87
    June 27, 2020 at 4:21 am

    It was a wonderful interview, but like Robin said, I wished it had gone on longer. You just seemed to be on a roll, then it ended, which was a bit of a letdown.
    It did capture your essence though. That certain way you turn a phrase that is totally yours and yours alone.
    I am sure this will heighten your exposure amongst all the parfumistas out in the world and you will end up with quite a following.
    You are destined for stardom in the perfume world.

    Reply
  6. emmawoolf
    June 27, 2020 at 8:43 pm

    But this is simply marvellous! I love this interview. Perspicacious. (I think that’s the word). He gets “you”. And the book. And congratulations on the award nomination! A lovely thing to read this Saturday morning. It has taken my mind away from work, this dratted virus, and into something rather lovely. Now I am going to start wearing perfume again (I haven’t, I confess, for months, really.) Thank you x

    Reply
  7. Tara C
    June 28, 2020 at 5:57 am

    What a great interview, much better than the bog standard sound bites that you sense have been repeated endlessly in other interviews. Congratulations on the award nomination, I think you very much deserve to win! I second Carries’s request for a published version of your blog posts.

    Reply
    • ginzaintherain
      June 29, 2020 at 9:32 am

      Thanks Tara. How are things in Canada? Japan has completely opened – almost too much. I do worry about the bastard biting us back …

      Reply
      • Tara C
        June 29, 2020 at 9:37 am

        We are cautiously optimistic here in Montréal. Most things are allowed to be open, but many business are still closed or are severely limiting the number of people allowed inside. The weather is good and several popular streets have been closed to car traffic so restaurants can put up outdoor patios. Crossing my fingers things don’t go sideways.

    • ginzaintherain
      June 29, 2020 at 9:34 am

      PS If I were to win, with Michael Edwards among the nominees ( an impossibility ) it would be unbelievable

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s