October 29, 2008

Biting Commentary: Werewolves and HIV

In the spirit of Halloween, POZ talks with HIV-positive author Joshua Dagon about his latest novel, Into the Mouth of the Wolf.

Real-life horrors are sometimes best dealt with by recasting them in the realm of fiction. Such is the case with HIV-positive author Joshua Dagon (The Fallen, Demon Tears). In his latest novel, Into the Mouth of the Wolf ($18.95, Breur Media Corp.), Dagon uses werewolves—a centuries-old folkloric mainstay—to dissect HIV, a far more modern monster.

Russell Shepard, the book’s protagonist, grows up knowing that werewolves exist. However, due to a general malaise toward werewolf—or lycanthropic—infection worldwide, he never feels as though he’s at risk. That is, of course, until the night he is bitten.

In the spirit of Halloween, POZ sat down with Dagon, 34, to talk about the unlikely pairing of werewolves and HIV and why we all must fight—tooth and nail—to keep AIDS from slinking back into the shadows.

What intrigued you about werewolves that inspired you to write a book about them?

Well, actually, my publisher [Arthur Breur] and I discussed the potency of that metaphor even months before I tested positive in 2005. We thought it was kind of relevant that basically the intimacy involved in the spread of the contagion was a parallel. And the fact that it turns someone into a monster. After I was infected, I kind of felt like a monster. I felt tainted.

One of the book’s main ideas is that there is a complacency about this infection. Do you feel that’s the case with HIV/AIDS in the real world?

You know, I do. I think there’s a general apathy toward it right now. I mean, there are degrees between certain people. You have the whole barebacking movement. But then you also have this younger generation that doesn’t want to talk about it. It’s not a subject that’s comfortable for them.

I know that before I was infected, I didn’t want to talk about it. It made me uncomfortable.

How do you personally relate to your main character, Russell Shepard? How do you hope your readers relate to him?

Well, I hope the readers will be empathetic with his position. And I relate to him in the way that he’s basically numb, and he goes through that stage where he thinks he can get away with not telling anyone what happened. But of course he realizes quickly that that’s ridiculous. And then, as you follow the story, he just kind of goes with the flow without really making a lot of decisions on his own. Without really accepting responsibility for his condition. And I hope that people can see how easy that that can be. There’s a temptation [as with HIV] to just follow along and not talk about it and just kind of let other people tell you what to do.

Have you gotten any feedback from readers living with HIV?

I’ve heard from counselors. In fact, an HIV counselor bought like 20 copies of it. She thought it was very potent. And that’s the only feedback that I’ve gotten. But no, I haven’t had the chance to talk to someone who’s read it and is HIV positive.

How is werewolf stigma similar to HIV/AIDS stigma?

I grew up with HIV on the news, and it was always considered to be the result of a chosen lifestyle. “You chose the lifestyle, you put yourself at risk and it’s your fault.” And basically, people just ignored the fact that someone was exposed to a virus. That’s what happened. No one goes out and looks for it. And in the book, it’s even more ridiculous.

I think it’s human nature for people to try to distance themselves from something that frightens them. They would make up these rules and try to find ways to separate their lives and their lifestyles from people who would be at risk of the infection.

And do you hope that readers will make that connection to HIV/AIDS on their own, or do you think that message is more subversive?

That’s a funny question. To me, I think it’s the most obvious thing in the first four pages that people will automatically make that connection [to HIV/AIDS]. I was afraid that the metaphor would be stupidly obvious. My publisher vehemently disagreed with me, and in fact, some of the reviews had compared it to other conditions, like hepatitis or cancer. It showed me a lot of different ways that the story can be interpreted. So personally, I think that people will immediately draw the connection. But that hasn’t been the case.

As a writer, does using allegory free you up to take on complex issues such as those surrounding HIV/AIDS?

For me, yeah. It was a lot easier for me to write about this kind of thing using that metaphor. And werewolves kind of fascinate me anyway. It was just obvious for me to use that mechanism.

To order a copy of Into the Mouth of the Wolf, click here.

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Previous Comments:

Kirk, , 2008-11-01 08:10:51
I too was diagnosed in 2005. I am now 36. I look forward to reading your book and will share it someone as well. When I was diagnosed in September, 3 years ago, I felt tainted and that I had failed. I considered myself an unfortunate statistic. Now, I feel different and more at-peace. Perhaps, your book can help someone. Thanks again!

gotstronger, sanjuan, pr, 2008-10-31 08:14:11
the allusion is very obvious during the 80's a new type of werewolf was played on a tv series, but newly infeted people may become identified with the book and would be interesting to see how it ends