Dust and Other Stories
Paperback short story collection published by Akerman Daly/Aye Aye Books, 19 texts, 2012.
Texts written from 2003 to 2012, some of which were adapted from the scripts of sound or video works. Publisher’s press release: “This collection of short fiction includes 19 stories all written in his trademark style, which has echoes of Iain Sinclair, Samuel Beckett and Donald Barthelme, all offset by Liverpudlian humour. These stories take us away from the crowd to abandoned people, places and mythologies. Through them we mine unregarded moments and complex histories, all uncovered with writing that mixes absurdity, comedy and artifice. I Can Travel Far From Here implores us to join a wayward evangelical mission. In Lost High Street a tourist realises he is trapped forever on a sightseeing bus as punishment for an act of espionage. And in Thin Air a student believes a university building is speaking to him about European wars and revolutions. Rooney’s writing is admired by poet George Szirtes and has been reviewed by The Guardian, Art Review, The Wire and MAP Magazine, among others.”
Bryan Biggs (Bido Lito magazine). September 2017 article referencing the book.
Andy Murray (The Big Issue magazine). Oct. 2012 interview about the book.
David Hebblethwaite (Bookmunch website). 23/10/2012 review.