What do a 2CV, Blondie and Vans have in common? They were Eric Corton's childhood sweethearts. The first two have since been traded for a Hybrid Japanese and his wife Diana Sno. On the contrary, the Vans have recaptured his heart. Except under a suit, because that requires "a beautiful and well-made pair of leather shoes underneath... I still too often see hideous shoes under a suit. Especially with politicians."
Text: Karine Bloem Portrait: Annemieke van der Togt
Who is Eric Corton?
I was born in 1969 in Oosterbeek, a small quiet village close to Arnhem. After secondary school, I left for Maastricht to attend drama school. I dropped out in the third year and was conscripted by a youth theatre company. Acting is my basis, but it is difficult to earn a living with that in our country. So I started doing all kinds of things besides that, because I am not very good at sitting still. Via music, I returned to radio and that suddenly became a kind of 15-year career. And writing I have always done. Usually it disappeared into the proverbial 'drawer' but nowadays I also write so that others can read it.
Writing is something I can do anytime, anywhere. I wrote this novel at home. Everyone was working at home and I was sitting at the dining room table. In the process, the whole neighbourhood decided to remodel. So among the jackhammers and sanders, in total chaos. And still it worked out. That tells me that I can do that both in a busy airport or in total silence on a mountain. I will always do that: short stories, poetry, or, like now, a novel. Anything goes and that's what makes it so nice.
My first two books (Wild World and Auto-biography -red.) were non-fiction short story collections, where I could draw on my own experiences and memory. However, writing a novel (Corton's first novel 'Mist' has just been published -red.) is a very complicated and difficult process. You have to create compelling characters, invent and weave together storylines, and then serve them out in doses so that it remains interesting to read over some 300 pages. I wanted to write an exciting story with the unreliability of your memories as a starting point. It took me a while to get that all sorted out and have the courage to start, but what an amazing journey!
Inspiration
People who in this day and age really own and dare to be authentic and, above all, dare to stay, I admire that. You are looked at and commented on from so many sides. Via oldschool media but especially through socials. To then stay your own course requires conviction and self-confidence. Tineke Ceelen of the Refugee Foundation is such a person. Who gets a gruesome bucket of misery poured over her daily because of her big heart and relentless hard work for refugees. But she keeps going, no matter what.
My childhood heroes were Zorro, Batman and Blondie. Zorro and Batman because, once masked, they could be someone else. Two different people who, from a not very good disguise, still did good things. And Blondie because she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen...I wanted to marry her. And I was only twelve...
I draw inspiration from all kinds of art forms. Still. Nothing is separate.
Clothes make the man
For quite a long time, I used to prance around mostly in three-piece tweed suits but that's kind of over. These days, I do a lot of sport and that changing started to feel a bit like a circus act. So now I wear what I feel comfortable in and that's basically what I wore when I was 16: jeans, Vans and a T-shirt.
Apart from Vans, I think a nice and well-made pair of leather shoes under a nice suit is very important. I often see the most hideous shoes under a suit. With rubber soles and in totally mismatched colours. Politicians are often very good at this. So ugly... I don't have a stylist. I would only get into arguments with one, haha! I decide what I wear myself. I also think everyone should wear what he/she/x feels comfortable with.
Armcandy
I don't wear a watch very often because I look at my phone so often that I am constantly up to date. In terms of arm candy, I am well provided for: when I was seventeen, I had my first tattoo done at Tattoo Roel in Arnhem and since then at Schiffmacher and Veldhoen. That process of tattooing is actually never finished. There is always a moment when you think: 'There could be something else here...but what then? Only my neck and face are no-go areas. Not convenient for my work (neither is what's already on it really but it's becoming more commonplace thankfully, even in casting) and it would also mean my divorce haha.
Wheels
From the very beginning, the car was for me the road to independence and freedom of movement. I could get in, turn the key, accelerate and then see where I ended up. Initially, it was the cheapest car I could afford. A Citroën 2CV, a Duck in other words. But later came the eye for detail and beauty of some designs and the power of power.
Once I swore to myself never to drive a Japanese, because I was into big petrol engines. Yankees of Americans with 7-litre engines and over 400bhp. But over the years that has changed and I find that I can no longer sell myself a fossil fuel guzzling car. So I am now in between. I drive a Hybrid Toyota and apart from driving 700 km on 40 litres, it is also cheap and low maintenance. Less fun perhaps, but an excellent tool for getting from A to B. A modern car shouldn't emit anything anymore. No CO2 at least.
The ugliest car ever made is definitely the Fiat Multipla. The designer of that car was drunk, stoned, sad and untalented at the same time... I think. My dream car never made it into production: a 1961 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 'Mako Shark'.
Leisure time
In my spare time, I cycle. On a road bike. And I do that a lot and often and with great pleasure. I think of things on the bike and I release things on the bike. Ideal.
I cook often. At Buurtbuik (for which Eric is an ambassador -red.) as a volunteer. With Buurtbuik, we prepare free meals with food that would otherwise be thrown away, for people who could use it. This way, the knife cuts both ways. We fight food waste and help people who need it to have a good, healthy meal. I think this is an incredibly concrete and practical way of helping and I really like it. Immediate results with a relatively small effort.
I find cooking delicious and relaxing. It starts with the planning and shopping. I am more of a gourmet than a Burgundian. I often see the term Burgundian used by people who confuse Burgundian with 'much and often and immoderately'. I was just getting away from that, hence now a gourmet.
TRAVEL
Although I did travel a lot over the past 20 years, I am not a huge traveller. In fact, holidays with my family were always by car and within Europe. During my fifteen years of work for the Red Cross, I did travel all over the world and saw an awful lot. That's how I got to places you wouldn't otherwise get to, special and precious. Because I spent a lot of time on the African continent, I fell in love with a certain place in Kenya. I go there a lot. I then stay there as long as possible to limit the amount of travelling, because I realise that flying is a big polluter. And on a bike is just not doable right now haha! There is still so much I would like to see and so much I would like to be... But I might need ten lifetimes for that! I'll see where I end up. That's how it usually goes for me.
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