Ron Dakron
NOVELIST, POET, HOUSE PAINTER.
Ron Dakron is the author of the novels Tricky, Hello Devilfish!, Mantids, Hammers, Newt and infra. His work runs the gamut from surrealism to sci-fi pastiche, with a prose style that he describes as “haplessly Chicagoan and influenced by working class whites, African American slang and Yiddish comedy.” His novels explore differing styles of poetic prose, from Romaticism, to Cubism, B-movie satire to mangled Japanese translation. Point No Point tagged his novels as “a cross between jive bullshit, hip-hop Henny Youngman, and full-tilt Rimbaudian street-smartass sublimity.” Raven Chronicles judged him “as sinister as a thirteen-year-old with a lighter and a keg of butane.” Publishers Weekly deemed him “a writer with a fine ear and plenty of gusto.”
Born in Chicago, Dakron majored in English at Elmhurst College and Lawrence University before moving to Seattle where he worked as a street violinist and house painter, and developed a confrontational poetic performance style “drenched in faux punkery.” He began writing novels in his late 20s, and considers himself “a proud working-class novelist who dreams up Big Lit.”
Dakron currently lives on the Olympic Peninsula.
Published Poetry
- 1980
Medusa’s Brat (Chapbook)
- 1981
What’s New What’s New (Chapbook)
- 1989
Given Nightingale Sleep (Black Heron Press)
Published Novels
- 1987
infra (Black Heron Press)
- 1992
Newt (Black Heron Press)
- 1998
Hammers (Black Heron Press)
- 2008
Mantids (Black Heron Press)
- 2014
Hello Devilfish! (Three Rooms Press)
- 2022
Tricky (Montag Press)
Awards
- 1988
infra – Inclusion in Regional Writers Project, a juried selection of Western States Books to be given promotional assistance.
- 1991
Newt – Winner of the King County Arts Commission Publication Award for Fiction, a $5,000 Grant towards author and press expenses and purchase of copies of work for all King County libraries. This contest was juried by nationally-acclaimed author W.P. Kinsella.
Performance
- 1978-1991
Various readings as Feature Writer at Red Sky Poetry Review, Seattle
- 1981
Rosco Louie Gallery, “Boxing Match” poetry reading with Jesse Bernstein, Seattle
- 1982
Rosco Louie Gallery, reading of “Voodoo Basement,” a four-person performance art piece, Seattle
- 1983
I ran the poetry series at the Virginia Inn, Seattle.
Free Press Festival, Vancouver, Canada
- 1984
Poetry performance at Pelican Bay Gallery (with dance troupe), Seattle
- 1985
Poetry performance, Shakespeare & Co., Paris
- 1986
Reading of novel infra, Shakespeare & Co., Paris
- 1987
Anna’s Cafe, Seattle, “What is Performance Art?” panel discussion and poetry performance. 14-hour marathon multi-reader performance of infra in its entirety, Seattle
- 1988
Alternative to Loud Boats poetry festival, Seattle
- 1989
Spoken Word series, Two Bells Tavern, Seattle
- 1991
King County Arts Commission-sponsored reading of Newt at Elliott Bay Book Co., Seattle
- 1992
2/10 – Writer’s Guild, Primarily Prose Series, Ditto Tavern, Seattle
3/27 – Shakespeare and Co., Paris
4/25 – Free Press Festival, Vancouver, Canada
5/14 – Spring Reading Series, Open Books, Seattle
6/7 – Red Sky, Seattle
7/6 – Writer’s Guild, Primarily Prose Series, Ditto Tavern, Seattle
8/2 – Alternative to Load Boats, Seattle Central Community College
8/31 – Bumbershoot Arts Festival, Bagley Wright Theater, Writers In Performance Series, Seattle
12/29 – Surrealist Magic Theater Series, at The Weathered Wall, Seattle
- 1993
1/14 – Jensen’s Gallery, Everett, Washington
3/28 – Spoken Word series, Two Bells Tavern, Seattle
4/22 – Elliott Bay Book Co.
9/6 – Bumbershoot 1993, Black Heron Showcase, Seattle
- 1994
10/15 – Elliott Bay Book Co., Black Heron Showcase
- 1995
3/6 – Red Sky, Seattle
5/9 – Spoken Word series, Two Bells Tavern, Seattle
- 1996
2/17 – Elliott Bay Book Co., Black Heron Showcase, Seattle
7/2 – Spoken Word series, Two Bells Tavern, Seattle
- 1997
5/1 – Pioneer Square Bakery Courtyard Reading
10/15 – Studio 1004, Artists Opening and Reading
11/7 – Red Sky, Seattle
- 1998
1/8 – Barnes & Noble, Issaquah WA
1/21 – Elliott Bay, Author’s Showcase
1/22 – Barnes & Noble, Federal Way WA
2/6 – Barnes & Noble Portland
2/14 – Barnes & Noble, Tukwila WA
2/24 – Barnes & Noble, Bellevue WA
3/26 – Book People, Moscow, Idaho
5/21 – Aunties Bookstore, Spokane WA
9/5 – Bumbershoot Literary Festival, featured reader, Seattle
- 1999
3/22 – Third Place Books, Seattle
4/13 – Village Books, Bellingham WA
6/15 – Lincoln Parks Art Festival, Seattle
7/25 – Titlewave Books, Seattle
- 2003
3/30 – Titlewave Books, Seattle
- 2005
4/2 – Unassociated Writers Conference and Dance Party, Vancouver, Canada
- 2007
4/19 – GetLit! Literary Festival, Featured Reader, Spokane WA
- 2008
4/18 – GetLit! Literary Festival, Featured Reader, Spokane WA
09/02 – Elliott Bay Book Co. Mantids, Featured Reader, Seattle
10/10 – Wordstock Literary Festival, Featured Reader, Portland OR
- 2009
4/19 – GetLit! Spokane WA Literary Festival, Featured Reader
8/09 – Black Heron 25th Anniversary, Elliott Bay Book Co., Seattle
- 2010
4/22 – GetLit! Literary Festival, Featured Reader, Spokane WA
GetLit! Spokane Literary Festival, Featured Reader
- 2014
10/20 – Le Poisson Rouge, NYC
11/6 – Elliott Bay Book Co., Seattle
12/19 – Aunties Bookstore, Spokane WA
- 2015
1/20 – Third Place Books, Seattle
Interviews
- 2015
2/27 – Mwa ha ha! All Your Ron Dakron Are Ours, Three Rooms Press by Constance Renfrow