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Jay Hartman's Review of The Bar Watcher
Dorien Grey: It's called The Hired Man, and is takes place in the world of a male escort service. It's by far the longest of the four books, and in some ways--clues, hints, red-herrings, etc.--probably the most complex.
GaryAllenB: You enjoy playing games with the reader, don't you?
Dorien Grey: I love it! But the reader has to be in on it for it to be a game. For the reader who isn't aware of it, there's no problem. The story is still there. But for the reader who's aware of what I'm doing, I hope it adds to the fun.
GaryAllenB: What sort of games, exactly?
Dorien Grey: Little things. Like: Where does Dick live? What does Dick look like? In a way, it's almost as though the reader were writing the book along with me. If the reader thinks Dick lives in Poughkeepsie, that's where Dick lives. If the reader thinks it's Atlanta, that's where it is. As for what Dick looks like, I haven't a clue. But I hope the reader does.
GaryAllenB: I've noticed the same characters and places seem to carry over from book to book.
Dorien Grey: Deliberately, of course. I want the reader to become familiar with and comfortable in Dick's world. His friends are important to him, and so it's natural they'd show up from book to book. And as for the bars and restaurants and streets and parks and buildings: his city is a very real city even if it doesn't exist on any map. It's real to Dick, and I want it to feel familiar and comfortable for the reader as well.
GaryAllenB: Do you have a favorite among the books?
Dorien Grey: Interesting question. As a matter of fact, I think I do, but...
GaryAllenB: But what?
Dorien Grey: I remember when I was a kid, my mom took me shopping while she looked for a new throw-rug for the kitchen. She narrowed her choice down to three, but couldn't decide between them, so she asked me which one I liked best. There was one I did prefer, but I wouldn't say so because I didn't want to hurt the other rugs' feelings.
GaryAllenB: So you don't want to hurt the other books' feelings?
Dorien Grey: Hey, if you had kids, would you tell everybody you liked one of them best? I don't have kids; I have books. But the principle's the same.
GaryAllenB: I might hazard a wild guess and say you're a die-hard romantic.
Dorien Grey: Duh!
GaryAllenB: Okay, then, how about your characters. Do you like them all?
Dorien Grey: Of course, except for the obvious rotters. If I don't like my characters, how could I expect the reader to? And in a couple of the books, I was a little surprised to find I'd rather fallen in love with one or two of them.
GaryAllenB: Such as?
Dorien Grey: Ed Grayley in "The 9th Man," Kevin and Patrick in "The Butcher's Son".
GaryAllenB: You and Dick have a lot in common.
Dorien Grey: Of course. But I think I like him better.
GaryAllenB: Dick's got a very . . . unusual . . . sense of humor; but there are some very heavy scenes in the books, too. Dick sort of wears his heart on his sleeve.
Dorien Grey: Yes, and I think it is really important that he feel things strongly. Again, if he doesn't, the reader can't.
GaryAllenB: Are the books still "writing themselves," as you once said?
Dorien Grey: Happily, yes. I'm really very lucky in that regard. I've got two distinct and often very different elements going for me when I write: my conscious and my subconscious. My conscious provides the basic ingredients of the story, and my subconscious puts them all together however it wants. It's a great working relationship.
GaryAllenB: Well, good luck with the book you've just started.
Dorien Grey: Thanks--I can't wait to see how it turns out.
