Heaven
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K Road, '94: relentless, adroit, urban
Heaven was written in 1994. I'd just finished Pack of Lies which was narrated by a woman who lies and it occurred to me that she might reveal at the end of the narrative that she wasn't even a woman. The character Heaven is a transvestite and exists between different worlds: male / female, night / day, past / present. I was working in Grey Lynn at the time and would walk home past the sex workers in K Road, which gave me the idea of the Paradise club.
The cover is a reproduction of a lithograph by the British pop artist Allen Jones, one of series entitled Para Adultos which I saw on sale at the Portfolio Gallery in Lorne Street, Auckland in 1985. I was at university without much money and seriously contemplated blowing a year's bursary on buying one of the prints - I've always been a fan of Allen Jones' work and they were pretty nice pieces. I settled for postcards of the works including this one, Memento which shows parts of a man melting into parts of a woman, and had it pinned up on the wall while I was writing Heaven. The artist kindly gave permission for the image to be used.
The novel is structured in three acts and jump-cut in the style of cinema. Sue Rogers and Midnight Films made the film version. The script was written by the film's director, Scott Reynolds. Heaven was released as The Paradise in Europe and is listed in The Internet Movie Database, which in turn links to some online reviews. Heaven played in many overseas festivals was nominated in several categories in the New Zealand film and television awards.
The grotesque and eccentric
"Deft and economical... Lust, lies and opportunism shape a world where realities are constantly shifting."
-- Metro
"Wonderfully urban... A formidable skill with words."
-- Evening Post
"An adroit stylist with a penchant for the eccentric and the grotesque. He relishes turning over literary stones and observing the creatures which scuttle out from under them."
-- North & South
"Relentless energy... Exceptionally good dialogue."
-- Stamp
Adult movie: the miramax version
There is a threaded discussion for Heaven hosted by the Internet Movie Database.
Some related links for the movie version of Heaven, including reviews. The search results are courtesy of Google.
Internet Movie Database (Threaded discussion)
FilmUP - Recensione: Heaven
Pobladores.com: Heaven
ACTORES DIRECTORES CRITICAS CHAT HEAVEN Gracias a Dios existen directores... ...basado en una novela de Chad Taylor, Heaven es la...
Fantasy Filmfest 2000
...DEM GLEICHNAMIGEN ROMAN VON chad taylor DARSTELLER martin donovan, HEAVEN PRODUZENTIN sue rogers REGIE/DREHBUCH scott reynolds NACH DEM...
Cinemaniacs: Heaven
...film adapt d'un roman de Chad Taylor, mi-chemin de "Usual...
Upcomingmovies.com: Heaven
...Ugly) Based Upon: The novel by Chad Taylor. Release Date: April 30th, 1999 (LA)...
Stuff.co.nz: Movie reviews
...characters in New Zealand author Chad Taylor's novel was portrayed...(25 June 2000)
The Big Picture / Pop / Film
...novel by Auckland writer Chad Taylor, the film was shot earlier...
Crítica de Cine
...Reynolds. Argumento: la novela de Chad Taylor. Nacionalidad: Nueva Zelanda...