Controversy, Psychopathy, and Insanity: A Writer’s Thoughts

Leading the way in originality, diversity, and controversial thinking is Kevin Beumer, a 23-year-old former student of European Languages and Culture at the University of Groningen, and now, author of his first novel “Psychopathic” due to be released in January 2018. Perhaps Beumer’s unique and refreshing take on the modern-day novel, focusing on “a 21 year old violent criminal called Carlos”, and taking the form of  “do-it-yourself crime instructions”, comes from his grandmother’s own advice to him as a young boy: “Changing the world starts with being crazy enough to think you can do it.” Beumer seems to have been inspired by this motto, and admits, “after years of philosophising, I came to the conclusion that there are two coherent ways of improving the world on a large scale: having access to a lot of money, or having access to a wide reach.” Beumer, however, after trying several different methods to reach his goal of financial success, was “awakened” on the 8th of January in 2015 after “two masked psychopaths shot Charlie Hebdo cartoonists”. He claims he “was able to draw two wise lessons from these events: firstly, that you do not necessarily need to have money to get access to a podium, and secondly, that freedom of press is a widely supported good that strangers are willing to defend” leading him to his decision a few months later “to write the most controversial book in Dutch literature”. 

His goal throughout the novel “is for the reader to build up a love-hate relationship with Carlos” which he enables “by alternating provocative statements with fresh political insights and informative segments about a successful life”, giving the reader access to Carlos’ most private and “absurd thoughts” through a first-person, present tense perspective. Carlos, a self-declared psychopath, Beumer explains “comes from a leftist family, who live under the motto: ‘if you are intelligent you are obliged to make the world a better place’ which Carlos fills in his own macabre way” perhaps hearkening back to his grandmother’s own advice linking insanity to success. The unique access to a psychopath’s inner-most private thoughts that Beumer gives to his readers allows for “sensitive issues such as anti-semitism, misogyny and homophobia to be addressed without being challenged”, which Beumer hopes will “generate controversy and thus ensure media attention” as he argues that “these extreme thoughts do exist and therefore have to be presented”.

To have gone from studying at university to having a finished novel ready for publication in under two years is an impressive stint for any novice writer, young or old, and Beumer explains that “a hard-working mother whom I want to make proud because I have often disappointed her, and besides that, a burning desire for national recognition” is what has served as his driving force for success. He believes that “creating motivation is easy; the trick is not to lose sight of it” and advises other aspiring creatives “to keep your personal projects secret, since people are easy to impress and praise is the killer of all motivation”. Beumer acknowledges that he “always wanted to be a trend-setter” and perhaps through the insanity of his protagonist in light of his grandmother’s own words, he can change the world, one novel at a time.