All Them Dogs

Djamel White’s debut novel, All Them Dogs, plunges readers into the gritty underbelly of Dublin, a world where ruthless gangsters, identifiable by their ostentatious "Turkey teeth" and meticulously styled hair, vie for dominance, wealth, and power. The narrative centers on Tony Ward, a man returning to the Irish capital after a period of laying low in England. Seeking refuge and a path forward, he finds himself under the wing of local mafioso Aengus Lavelle, who assigns him to work alongside his formidable enforcer, the enigmatic Darren "Flute" Walsh.

The novel intricately weaves Tony’s personal struggles with his re-entry into a fractured family life. He grapples with reconnecting with his weary mother and his resentful brother, who views Tony’s return as a threat to their family’s precarious stability. Amidst this domestic tension, Tony’s burgeoning partnership with Flute offers him a sense of purpose and direction. This collaboration ignites a familiar yearning within Tony, as he finds himself drawn to a man of considerable physical and emotional presence.

"I didn’t set out to write a capital ‘q’ queer novel," White states in a recent interview conducted via Zoom from his West Dublin home, the primary setting for All Them Dogs. "I guess this is a crime thriller, but it’s also a human story about a flawed person operating in an incredibly violent world." This perspective underscores White’s approach: blending genre conventions with profound character exploration.

White, who left formal education early only to later pursue a degree and an MFA at University College Dublin, has achieved a subtly subversive literary feat. He has artfully infused a potent element of illicit queerness into a hyper-masculine environment where reputation and outward appearances are paramount. His exploration of these interlocking themes propels the novel toward a frenetic and compelling conclusion.

The Dublin Underworld: A Landscape of Blurred Lines

White’s vivid portrayal of Dublin’s criminal underworld stems from a deep-seated familiarity with the city and its social dynamics. "Dublin is a small place, and the class lines are much more blurred in Ireland because, you know, we abolished the gentry," he explains. "So unless you’re from a very affluent background, that [gangland] world is always accessible to you – it’s unavoidable in some ways."

This accessibility, White notes, was not immediately apparent to everyone. "It wasn’t until I was much older and started meeting people from different backgrounds – quite sheltered backgrounds, I would say – that I realised not everyone had an awareness of this world." While he himself did not experience a particularly harsh upbringing, he possessed a keen understanding of the potential realities of such environments. He considers the characters in All Them Dogs, for the most part, to share a similar social milieu to his own. This grounding in lived experience lends authenticity to the novel’s depiction of a society where economic disparities and criminal enterprises often intersect.

Crafting Tony Ward: A Study in Masculinity and Desire

All Them Dogs is narrated in the first person from the perspective of Tony Ward, a character struggling to re-establish himself in a world defined by overt violence. White’s creation of Tony was influenced by his lifelong observations of individuals navigating complex power structures. "I’m interested in power – what people do to take it, and the instances in which they lose it – particularly in masculine structures and settings."

He recalls a formative observation from his youth: "Growing up, there was always a kind of pecking order based on physicality. It was the biggest, strongest and most threatening [man] who was on top." This observation was coupled with an awareness of "ambient violence between men," where the most intimidating individuals commanded reverence. These encounters, often devoid of direct physical confrontation, were nevertheless charged with unspoken threats and boasts of past transgressions.

White identifies three core emotions at play in these dynamics: "fear, envy and desire. Like, ‘I’m afraid of this guy, but he has everything I want, and I kind of want to be him.’ And with this story, I was like, ‘What if we push the desire element a little further?’" This deliberate emphasis on desire, particularly within the context of Tony’s repressed sexuality, becomes a central engine of the narrative.

The Performance of Aggression and Hidden Vulnerabilities

The novel delves into the performative nature of aggressive masculinity. White considers Tony’s actions less a conscious performance and more an instinctive response born from a desperate self-cornering. "He can’t back down from anything because he’s backed himself into a corner," White elaborates. "He’s never going to surrender, because if he surrenders to himself, the mask would slip and he would disintegrate completely." This internal pressure to maintain a facade of unyielding strength is a theme that resonates across many characters in the book, even those whose backstories are less explored.

This relentless drive for self-preservation, however, masks a deeper longing. "What he probably won’t admit to himself is that he wants to be accepted and connect with people," White notes. Tony’s worldview is shaped by the hyper-masculine environment he emerged from, leading him to believe that adherence to these ideals is the only route to acceptance. This creates a profound internal conflict, amplified by his status as a queer individual navigating such a restrictive social landscape.

Unlabeling Desire: Tony’s Secretive Sexuality

A notable aspect of All Them Dogs is the absence of explicit labels regarding sexuality. Tony, in particular, does not categorize his attractions. White suggests that Tony perceives his attraction to men not as an identity to be explored, but as another secret to be concealed. "I think it’s the latter," White clarifies. "I don’t think he’s engaged in queer culture in any kind of broad sense."

The novel alludes to a formative experience in Tony’s youth, a mentorship involving an "imbalanced relationship" that shaped his understanding of his own desires, albeit in a "twisted way." Tony’s primary focus is on preventing his sexuality from undermining the carefully constructed image of himself he has cultivated.

The narrative’s close-knit, first-person perspective limits explicit exploration of Tony’s internal struggle with his sexuality, as such introspection would feel inauthentic to his character. White posits that overt discussions of sexuality would have felt "too obvious or pastiche" within the milieu Tony inhabits. The potential consequences for Tony, should his relationship with Flute become known, are implicitly understood by both characters and the reader, adding a layer of suspense.

The Unlikely Bond Between Tony and Flute

Beyond their constant physical proximity, the connection between Tony and Flute is rooted in a search for emotional security. As Tony becomes aware of individuals seeking retribution for his past actions, his car journeys with Flute become his sole sanctuary. He trusts that Flute will provide unwavering protection during their assignments.

White also points to the dynamic of envy and desire as a crucial element in their burgeoning relationship. Tony comes to internally acknowledge Flute’s elevated status within their hegemonic world, which enhances his appeal. Moreover, Flute’s physical attractiveness is a significant draw for Tony, a factor that cannot be overlooked.

The Irony of Grooming and the Maternal Anchor

The novel presents a striking irony: within this intensely masculine world, there is an "excessive amount of grooming involved." White draws a parallel to contemporary culture’s emphasis on "looksmaxxing." In Tony’s environment, cosmetic procedures like veneers and hair transplants function as both armor and status symbols. "If you’re walking around Ireland – a country that has 90 per cent cloud coverage most of the time – with a golden brown tan and shiny new teeth, that’s a signifier of wealth and success."

Amidst this display of "pimped-up machismo," Flute’s mother, Melissa, emerges as a surprisingly formidable character. White explains this as a deliberate choice to provide Flute with a foil and to explore the complexities of his character as a "mammy’s boy." Melissa’s presence introduces a vulnerability in Flute that Tony can exploit, and having a woman serve as this counterpoint challenges conventional narrative expectations. "And that’s something I’m always trying to do in my writing," White asserts.

Earning Reader Sympathy Amidst Moral Ambiguity

Despite Tony’s morally questionable actions, White successfully cultivates reader sympathy for him. This was not a guaranteed outcome, but rather something White "just had to close my eyes and fucking hope" for. He believes the key lies in his own sympathetic portrayal of Tony and a shared human capacity among readers to connect with flawed characters.

"I wasn’t writing a character who I thought of as ‘gruesome’ in any way," White states. While Tony’s actions are difficult to defend, his complexity is precisely what makes him compelling. The first-person narration allows readers intimate access to Tony’s internal struggles and relational difficulties, fostering empathy. White suggests that a third-person perspective or multiple narrators might have made Tony more readily detested.

All Them Dogs stands as a significant debut, offering a nuanced and thrilling exploration of masculinity, desire, and the often-violent consequences of suppressed identity within the unforgiving landscape of Dublin’s criminal underworld. Djamel White has crafted a narrative that is both a gripping crime thriller and a poignant human drama, leaving a lasting impression on the reader.

All Them Dogs is available now.