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Iconic Convos: Saint Rat
Nicole Bearden (NB): You’ll find our next guest nestled in an arched niche of the Cal Anderson Gatehouse. Saint Rat is the talk of the town this summer—Hot Rat Summer, that is. Welcome to Iconic Convos, Saint Rat. I’m thrilled to finally connect.
Saint Rat (SR): Blessings of the Season, my child.
NB: You are having a bit of a moment. How are you dealing with your newfound notoriety?
Iconic Convos: Afterglow Vista
A day trip out of Seattle up to San Juan Island, near the Canadian border, will take you to one of my favorite Washington icons. At Roche Harbor, a short walk through a wooded cemetery more than a century old will lead to a clearing, in the center of which rests a large stone rotunda. Afterglow Vista (previously known as McMillin Memorial Mausoleum) seems otherworldly—a classical, open-air rotunda containing Masonic symbols, including a round stone table and chairs (in which the ashes of the McMillin family, along with those of John S. McMillin’s secretary Adah Beeny are interred) in the center of a Pacific Northwest island forest.
Iconic Convos: Erasmus the Rooftop Dragon
If you spend time in historical Downtown Renton, you will likely run across our next guest—just look up. Erasmus the Rooftop Dragon landed atop a crooked little building in 2019. Since then, the city of Renton has embraced Erasmus, holding the annual Dragon’s Landing festival every April to commemorate his arrival.
Nicole Bearden (NB): I’m excited to chat today, Erasmus. I’ve never had the pleasure of speaking with a dragon before.
Erasmus the Rooftop Dragon (ERD): The honor is yours, I’m sure.
Iconic Convos: The Wall of Death
Nicole Bearden (NB): If you end up in the U District, on the Burke-Gilman Trail, you might run across our next guest, one of Seattle’s oddest icons: The Wall of Death. I appreciate you taking time to speak with us today. I must say, your appearance is pretty intimidating, Wall, not to mention your name. What has your experience on the Burke-Gilman been like?
Iconic Convos: Hat ‘n Boots
On my way back from my short hiatus, I ran into our next Iconic Convos interviewees, Hat n’ Boots at Oxbow Park in Georgetown. At 22-feet high (Boots) and 44-feet wide (Hat), these two are hard to ignore.
Iconic Convos: A Sound Garden
Nicole Bearden (NB): In honor of Seattle’s Faux Spring weather last week, I decided it was time to have a confab with one of my personal favorite Seattle Icons: A Sound Garden. Located on the NOAA campus near Magnuson Park, between Piers 15 and 17 on Lake Washington, A Sound Garden reverberates with hauntingly atmospheric intonations as the wind blows through artist Douglas Hollis’ twelve, 21-foot high, steel tower sculptures. Sound Garden, I appreciate your presence today.
A Sound Garden (SG): a chorus of metallic hums breezing through the air We are delighted to converse with you.
Iconic Convos: Fremont Troll
Nicole Bearden (NB): Hello, and welcome to another Iconic Convo with Seattle’s most recognizable icons. Today we are speaking with the Fremont Troll. We appreciate you spending time with us today, Fremont Troll.
Fremont Troll (FT): Grunts, and nods slowly as dust drifts from his head to float through the air
NB: Now, you’ve been around since 1990. How have you noticed that the city has changed over the past 35 years?
Iconic Convos: The Gum Wall
NB: A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of chatting with Pike Place Market. During our talk, Pike Place spoke briefly about their friend The Gum Wall. Now that we are clear of the market’s holiday hustle and bustle, Gum Wall has made time to connect with us and share some secrets. Welcome, Gum Wall, and thank you for speaking with us today.
Iconic Convos: The Seattle Freeze
Nicole Bearden (NB): Since we are deep into Seattle’s dark days (Winter), I thought it was about time to talk to our most famous, local, glacial icon: The Seattle Freeze. Thanks so much for joining us today, Freeze. What have you been up to?
Seattle Freeze (SF): Oh, just chilling. The usual.
NB: Snorts Oh! Ha. Very funny.
Iconic Convos: Lenin Statue
Nicole Bearden: Zdravstvuyte, today we are speaking with the Fremont Lenin statue. (I don’t speak Russian, but I learned the phrase for “hello”, just for today).
Lenin Statue: Hello. I do not speak Russian.
NB: Aren’t you a Lenin statue? I thought Lenin was Russian?
LS: Lenin was Russian. My nationality is more complicated. I was created by a Bulgarian, for Czechoslovakia, and have now been in the Capitalist States of America since the ‘90s. What is nationality anyway? What are borders, but arbitrary lines assigned to take power from the many and funnel it to the wealthy?
Iconic Convos: Black Sun
BS: The more people change, the more they remain the same. People, seasons, time—they all cycle, they all come back to incipience.
I bear witness to the spinning wheels of time, the turning clock of seasons, and the joys and sorrows of man—I bear it all and it is both a heavy burden, and a lightsome ecstasy.
A trio of squirrels playing tag in my tree friends' branches. The cries of a woman brought to regret by a loathsome monster. And in between are the mediocre events, such as life and death which keep us turning—I see all.
Other Legendary Trolls: Seattle Kraken
NB: Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview, Mr. Kraken. I think a lot of people were confused when the Seattle Kraken’s mascot turned out to be…not a Kraken. Can you give us the inside scoop?
BK: Call me Brodie. Mr. Kraken is my dad and he's a huge bummer. I’m so stoked to get a chance to set the record straight, man. It’s been heavy since that little troll weirdo got picked over me.
