Books Reading Tonight
posted by on March 28 at 10:36 AM
Three readings going on around town tonight, including a whopping conflict of interest.
First, downstairs at Town Hall, there’s Eric Alterman, with his book Why We’re Liberals. In general, I find Alterman to be insufferably pandering, but Christ on a pogo stick, look at this book cover! Erica Barnett pointed it out to me last week: Alterman standing in the middle of a swarm of people including Martin Luther King Jr, JFK and RFK, Abraham Lincoln, Jesus Christ (sans pogo stick,) and a surprisingly vertical and strong-looking FDR (I guess there’s no Polio in Liberal Heaven.) I’m totally judging this book by its cover, I know, but did anyone at the publisher suggest that maybe this was a bad idea?
Up at Open Books, Sebastian Matthews is reading from his new and lovely book of poems, titled We Generous. One poem from the book begins with the line: “Bears have been following me around again.” If you’re strapped for cash, this one is free and looks like a good time.
Finally comes the complete and utter conflict of interest: At the larger upstairs room in Town Hall, the Hugo House is presenting “Answered Prayers and Other Tragedies,” in which three authors read new work. The authors are Stranger employee and Last Days columnist David Schmader, who is even funnier in real life than he is on paper, which is really saying something; current Stranger Sonics Death Watch columnist Sherman Alexie, who is one of the best readers of his own work that I’ve ever seen; and Stranger contributor Michelle Tea, who is a good and adventurous writer and also a very good performer. All three will be performing original work based around the theme, which is “Answered Prayers and Other Tragedies.” There will also be original music by Stranger writer Sean Nelson, but I’ll leave that conflict of interest to the music folks over at Line Out.
Full readings calendar, including the next week or so, is here.
Man, that book cover makes me want to vote Republican. Is it intended to be a handbook for four-year-olds?
Um, I totally thought that the dude in the red tie on the bottom left was Newt Gingrich, and I was like wha...?
I actually loved, "What Liberal Media," though so maybe I won't judge the book entirely by it's cover....
sukuracon now!
Does nobody recognize and appreciate the work of Tom Tomorrow anymore? (Or only because the rival Seattle Weekly publishes his strip now?)
Yep, that's a Tom Tomorrow cover. I had actually seen it a couple of times before and never realized that Alterman was right in the middle.
I have some qualms with Alterman, and you're right that the cover sucks, but this is actually a book I'd be interested in reading.
it looks like paul's not going for it. it's up to you, bellevue.
@ Andy Christ, I really like some of Tom Tomorrow's strips, but this is truly a horrible fucking cover.
@ Bellevue Ave, after doing Norwescon last week, there's no way in hell I'm doing SakuraCon this weekend. Plus, there don't seem to be any book events, so our Manga Editor (Jonah Spangenthal-Lee) will just have to cover it.
I'm going to the Hugo House thing at Town Hall. With w7ngman. I am very excited. We'll be drinking at Quarters beforehand, if any Sloggers want to meet up.
And if any of you are thinking, "Hmm, that maybe sounds like something I'd like, but I'm not sure...." just go. David Schmader is a gem and this is guaranteed to be good. In fact, if you go, and by some unforeseeable force you hate it, you have permission to punch me in the face for wasting your time and your $25. Though you'd look like an asshole, because I'm on crutches.
I work in the Convention Center Tower and it's 1 part hilarious and 2 parts sheer ridiculousness that Sakuracon makes me feel this time of year.
I'd come with the Jew, but $25 is a total rip-off.
Sadly, I'd have to agree with @1 and @3.
I'll be at the Obama Fundraiser at Von's (across from Pacific Place downtown) tonight. A copy of Barack Obama's book, "Dreams from My Father", will be raffled too.
#10 is right. You're paying for this shit, Aislinn. Women's lib!
Tell him to get down here with a camera stat! The costumes make me smile because of how ridiculous they are.
Roosevelt, though permanently disabled from polio, was able to stand erect (heh heh) with the use of leg braces. Alternatively, he could be seated in his wheelchair as the image in no way suggests he is standing.
Thank you.
why is mr poe coming with Jews?
and where can I get some Jews to come with?
or on.
Why did you make it plural? I only have one Jew, and he's mine, and no one else's.
I recommend you take this up with Issur. He's (allegedly) found where the hip Jews go to Temple. He has yet to disclose the location, so I call shenanigans.
The cover looks like it might be by the guy who draws for This Modern World cartoon
@17
Uh...
Alterman has a big fuckin' ego:
http://www.observer.com/node/47373
#19, "By the way, according to Mr. Alterman's book, NPR ain't so liberal."
You don't say.
what i love about the NPR isn't liberal thing is that people say it like it's a bad thing. Ooooh, a media outlet not telling you what you want to hear, the outrage!
I think the guy to the left of MLK is supposed to be Al Gore, but he looks more like Al Brooks to me.
Comments Closed
In order to combat spam, we are no longer accepting comments on this post (or any post more than 14 days old).