Vlautin isn't a PR guy. He's an artist and
a storyteller. So Lean On Pete isn't a per-
fectly packaged story of fulfilment or re-
demption. Nor is it an idealised vision of
the world of horse racing. It's tough, but it's
real, and full of humanity. Indeed, this same
ethos runs throughout Vlautin's substantial
body of literary and musical work, whether
it be his five novels, numerous short stories,
or the albums he has recorded with bands
'Richmond Fontaine' and 'The Delines.'
Willy has recently been on a music and
spoken-word tour of Europe, promoting his
latest novel Don't Skip Out On Me and the
coming movie version of Lean On Pete. He
set down his guitar and travel bags in Bel-
fast, Northern Ireland, to talk to the TDN
about racing, writing, and romance.
