To us, Dalton is the perfect southern gentleman. He's got a gigantic heart and some powerful words. We imagine he has a beautiful accent, too. The answers to his questions are both insightful and charming, so we hope you enjoy this interview as much as we did!
You can find his work in Hunt, Press and After.
What inspires you?
The South. There is just so much magic and warmth in the ground here. The food is delicious. The accents. The music! The culture of the South has always been a very big part of who I am, and it always finds its way into my work. I love it.
My mother and grandmother. They are strong ladies, made out of the very mountains they can move so effortlessly.
My girlfriend, Ricky. She keeps me grounded, because she knows that given the chance, I would go burnin' up into the sun just because I wanted to be so close. She makes my heart safe, and she keeps the stars close.
My best friend, Ricky. I am blessed to have two marvelous Rickys in my life. He keeps my childhood present. He is brilliant. There are so many moons in this kid, so much howling, and I would not be able to write like I do without him. Squirrel friends for life!
My baby cousin, Madison. She is a strange, beautiful, loud bird. There are lanterns inside of her, glowing, that I hope will always remain so.
Drag queens. I love drag so very much. The charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent those ladies have is just mind-blowing. I couldn't do it, that's for sure. They inspire me to do the best art I can do. Drag inspires me to remain true of heart, above all else.
Birds. Mountains. Space.
And other poets and artists, of course! To name a few: Anis Mojgani, Jeremy Radin, Frank Stanford, Jon Ledford, Buddy Wakefield, Jessi Trimnal, Maurice Sendak, Graham Franciose, RuPaul, Lou Murrey, Shaun Tan, Latrice Royale, Jim Driggers, Sam Beam, Mother Aretha Franklin, and the film Beasts of the Southern Wild.
What’s your process like for writing a poem?
It usually starts with an image. And it slowly grows, line by line, sometimes downward, sometimes outward. I get the poem started, and then I just follow it to wherever it wants to go. I do not believe in forcing a poem to go a certain way. It just won't work out.
I try to write a poem a day. That does not mean I write a good poem a day. Poetry is my job, or at least I consider it to be. As such, I should show up to work every day. Inspiration is one thing, but if a writer doesn't meet inspiration at least half-way with honest blood and sweat, it only does a disservice to the poet and the poem.
What do you enjoy doing aside from writing?
I enjoy eating. Breakfast food, goodness gracious! I enjoy reading, watching RuPaul's Drag Race, and laughing at dumb things. I love listening to records. I love monster hunting with my cousin Madison when I get the chance. Bicycles in the summer. Taking annoying pictures of my two cats, Voldemort and Other Cat. I also enjoy being loud in the car with my best friend Ricky.
I also enjoy dancing, but we'll get to that later.
Dream ice cream sundae?
Chocolate ice cream. Chocolate syrup. Nutella somewhere. White chocolate flecked over. Sprinkled cinnamon and gingerbread. Oh that sounds delicious. Eating it on a porch swing and falling asleep afterwards. On a Sunday afternoon.
And most importantly, what is your signature dance move (and song of choice to boogie to)?
I'll refer to my dancing style as the Reverse-Super Nova Factory. Limbs flailing. Feet stomping. Heart clapping.
And I'll give you two boogie-worthy songs! "Gettin' Over Your Love" by Holy Ghost Tent Revival. And "Glamazon" by RuPaul. Of course.
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