Trinie Dalton Shares About Wide Eyed, The Rolling Stones and Unicorns

October 18, 2010

Trinie Dalton's collection Wide Eyed came out a few years ago, but the animals and mythic beasts inside are as wild as ever, and the stories have all the altitude and crash of a sugar high. A few weeks ago, I followed Wide Eyed's collection of unicorns, salamanders, wookiees, and hummingbirds as they got lost in a West Coast drenched in Marc Bolan. This is a collection I recommend to anyone who hates books.

I've read in interviews that when working on a story, one of the first things that you work out is a setting. Are there geographic, chronological, or topographical settings that you are dying to use, that you haven't used in a narrative? It is understandable if you don't want to divulge.

Settings are key in my work; I usually envision a setting before the story takes place within it. My next story collection is keyed into this, and the settings vary by country per each story. Wide Eyed was California-based, and Sweet Tomb was mountain-based. I started that book in Berlin, and was taking my bike on the public trains out to the Berlin suburbs to ride my bike, thus becoming accustomed to German woodlands. I don’t really have a setting to divulge, as right now I’m thinking of making some stories that are rooted in interior spaces. I’m picturing rooms, furniture (or lack thereof), meals, etc., the domestic setting. I think my new pieces will work with interiors for a change.

Its seems like books, movies, and music are choked with zombies and vampires, is it time for unicorns to assert themselves as a cultural force, or will they be relegated to the shadows?

I say "up" with all monsters, and did a unicorn book already called A Unicorn Is Born. Sweet Tomb, too, stars a witch and a vampire. I did a treatment on werewolves in Mythtym, called "Werewolf Express." So, I’m definitely one of those authors choking the market with monster books. "Monster Mash" was my favorite 7" record when I was young. What are you going to be for Halloween?

(I'm thinking of going as a Tamarick Vanover wolfman.)

In the story "Start Me Up", the song of the same name gets stuck in the main character's head, what do you think about the Rolling Stone album"Tattoo You" as a whole, and not to get too political, but who do you take in the eternal debate?

I prefer Exile on Main Street and Her Satanic Majesty’s Request. I think Keith Richards’ song "Before They Make Me Run" on Some Girls is some kind of precursor to "Start Me Up." Real gritty and dark. I get disturbed by those malevolent occult undertones in the mid to late-period Rolling Stones music, especially on "Goats Head Soup." But, I can’t get enough of that stuff. "Angie" is such a tortured tune. A lot of pain buried in there. I do admire the Beatles, but as I get older, I vote for the Stones more and more. That vote also goes to the Stones because of Jagger’s tranny-vibe. I’m not into that dude now, but as far as sexy rock icons go, he used to be up there.

Favorite library in the world:

New York Public Library, of course. Schwartman, where they get books from the deep freeze on a pulley system, and you wait for your number to pop up on the board to get your book, as if it’s Grand Central Station announcing train arrivals.

And, Pratt Library built in 1901 or thereabouts, Brooklyn’s first public library. Mosaics and marble abound, plus amazing book collection. Has a Victorian glass-house feeling in the stacks because there are glass floors and elaborate wrought iron work lines the shelves and railings. Can you see this photo? This link should take you to several historical photos.

Early library memories:

Researching handwriting analysis books for my fourth grade science project, which wasn’t very scientific and there weren’t many books on the topic. Bu,t that elementary school librarian taught me how to find books in the stacks, and I was hooked. I also have many fond memories of abusing my copy machine privileges to make zines in the Art Center College of Design library, where I worked as a librarian for four years out of college. That’s a fantastic library too. I still spend, on average, two days a week holed up at whatever library is near me.

Dylan L.
South Independence Branch