South West author Brett Cole’s ‘Book of Life’

Emerging South West author Brett Cole has published his first book, The Pink Bubble, a journey of youthful abandon, misadventure, atonement, and acceptance of what one brings to life and what life can become via the experiences we embrace. BOB GORDON caught up with Cole to find out how writing the book helped him through challenging times and why he now hopes it can do the same for readers.

Your book, The Pink Bubble, was written over the course of 20 years of your life. Has it been a labour of love, or is there more to it than that?

It’s been a labour of love, but it’s also been something of a necessary constant for me—always there in the background. I’d go back to it at different times, almost like in a journaling way, when I wanted to get things off my chest or even take time out to develop it and work on creating something complete and coherent from it.

It’s been cathartic for me at times when I’ve struggled in different areas of my life. Having it as an outlet has been a way to escape from troubles, but in another way, deal with them too, as some troubles I reflect on in the book. In a way, I’m almost working through them as I’m writing about them.

Tell us about the main character, Anton.

My character Anton is based on the protagonist from Jean-Paul Sartre’s debut novel, La Nausea. Sartre’s Antoine is forever alienated and forever looking for meaning and direction. I related to him strongly after the incident I was involved in as a teenager. I felt lost and a lot of shame. I’m interested in purpose and meaning in life, still!

I think characters like Antoine, Rafelnikov (Crime and Punishment), and Holden (The Catcher in the Rye) have such depth that we can relate to them when we are having existential issues ourselves. There’s often an inner turmoil that these types of characters are exploring, and often it is the writer that is exploring that themselves, but through them! I think they are exorcising stuff through their characters, and we can get answers, guidance, and help from the journey.

One of the themes of the book is atonement, which springs from an incident that happened when you were 17. Can you describe what happened and how it has shaped you since?

I think I’ve learned to better face what happened by talking about it. I am now more accountable to things, but especially to what happened when I was 17.

I was in a car accident. I was not injured in any physical way but have been in other ways—psychologically and emotionally. I was responsible for another person sustaining some permanent injuries. This person was a passenger in the car with me. Her permanent injuries could be worse, but I am not going to say they are minor. There is ABI (Acquired Brain Injury) including memory loss, for this person.

I have worked as a disability support worker for over five years, and it keeps, in part, what happened from fading into the background. In other words, she and I are lucky to not have ended up more restricted by what happened, and I practice gratitude for that being the case. I hope the negative effects of that afternoon raise their ugly head less because of the work I now do, as I get perspective from this work and it keeps me grounded.

One of the best outcomes of this book has been reconnection, which began with seeking permission from her to put details of the accident in the book. Since the accident, she has been married, has a daughter, and is a kind and brave person. And importantly, is so very funny. There has never been any blame there. She has always been amazing in regards to what happened. I now, finally, make efforts to speak to and contact her, and it always goes well.

The title, The Pink Bubble, is adapted from a meditation practice in a book by Shakti Gawain called Creative Visualisation. What is the practice, and what are its benefits?

It is a technique of meditation whereby affirmations are made while visualisations are being created of something positive happening in that person’s life. One of the affirmations and beliefs is that not only will it benefit the subject/individual but the whole of the universe, and this needs to be reflected in the visualisations—moving pictures or images of what is wanted.

It is to be done regularly and consistently, and from the efforts and time spent on it, one moves towards what they want to attain—almost unconsciously—and that which will aid them in their desires begins to be drawn to them. It sounds like a lot to digest, and it may sound too New Age and wishy-washy, but it has worked for me.

What do you hope that people take away from reading The Pink Bubble?

I really want it to resonate with people who have been through troubles and struggles, which is pretty much everyone over a certain age. For a long time, I didn’t recognise that what we both went through in vastly different ways was trauma. It was mostly reading books and literature that helped me get through what happened. Family and friends tried in their ways to help, but I was pretty shut down in the early stages and just felt that no one could truly empathise with me.

In its own small way, I hope my little book can help others with what is challenging them. It may provide some ways to escape and ideas on how to better move through it. And maybe it can be understood how something negative, sad, and debilitating can turn into something positive, creative and assured.

It’s always been my dream to write a book. And now it’s come true. We can turn what’s happened to us in the past into something worthwhile. It just takes time to think about how to tell the story.

The Pink Bubble is available from selected bookstores and for Kindle via amazon.com.au