No, nobody knew her well enough to call her Val.

I often type out entries for this site first thing in the morning, moments after waking up. In some ways I feel it keeps me fresh, on my toes and, at the very least, relatively honest. As Photogal has learned, the best way to get info out of me is to hit me up with questions when I first wake up. It’s like a living lie detector test since my shields aren’t functioning and my tongue wags loose. I try to replicate that level of honesty, as best as I can, here.

Now imagine if you could get through to me while I was still asleep? What would come out of my mouth then? What would it sound like if I could narrate my subconscious?

Would my somnambulant utterings be called somniloquies?

I guess I’ve been thinking about this since discovering the collected “works” of Dion McGregor:

Unlike your average garden-variety sleeptalker, whose utterings rarely go beyond a few indistinct words here and there or perhaps the occasional semi-coherent mumbled sentence, Dion McGregor actually dreams out loud, verbalizing fully-realized miniature dramas of the subconscious. His clear articulation is underscored by the noises of the New York City street traffic below his open second-storey window...

[He] began sleeptalking as a young boy...but it wasn't until his late 30s that the unique qualities of his talent began to take shape. A diehard movie buff and struggling song lyricist habitually without a home of his own, McGregor was shuttling between the couches and guest beds of several apartments of a nondescript five-storey walkup at 961 First Avenue, on the east side of midtown Manhattan, when his various roommates began to notice the rare clarity and duration of his sleeptalking sessions.

[A roomate told] Mike Barr, another resident of the building and a songwriting partner of McGregor's, about the sleeptalking, Barr immediately recognized that he had stumbled onto something special. Barr, a budding composer whose hobby was tape-recording the audio portions of movie musicals off late-night TV, was eager to turn his microphone on McGregor's dreams. McGregor, on the other hand, was not quite so eager to have his dreams turned upon, but for the historical record -- as well as for a permanent address of his own -- he would endure. (full text)

Intriguing, no? Yes. Of course it is. I’ve tracked down some of the earlier recordings and they are indeed equally disturbing, fascinating and amusing. I think a perfect example would be “Val” off The Dream World Of Dion McGregor. It’s the story of an odd little girl who lives in the neighborhood and elicits whispers from every doorway. Here, listen for yourself.

Dion McGregor – Val

Wild, huh? It's just so conversational and matter-of-fact in tone and I think that's what makes the narration even more unsettling. A new disc of his stuff just came out and can be bought here.

So yeah, I'm not so sure I want direct access to my subconscious. I don't think I have any real business poking around those parts without a tour guide, to be honest with you. I think it's probably best for me to continue to try to get to the crux of the matter with the final sands of sleep slipping off my shoulders rather than plumbing the depths while buried headfirst in slumber's surf. I think it's just safer that way.

P.S. This is myt first time using a YouSendIt link so let me know if there are any problems or if it expires.