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News & ArtsMonday, February 8, 2010
Books On Readings
Posted by Paul Constant on Mon, Feb 8, 2010 at 11:42 AM
I feel as though I must respond: In yesterday's Yesterday The Stranger Suggested, Matthew Cooke (whose smart, funny posts I have been enjoying quite a bit over the last week) says that he hasn't attended a literary event since at least college. Then he goes on to say:
If you haven’t already guessed, I harbor my own literary aspirations and it was instructive for me to see the nitty-gritty of a book tour.
Allow me to intervene here, and provide some advice for writers: If you have literary aspirations, you need to attend readings. A lot of readings. Not to ask "where do you get your ideas from?"during the Q&A session, but to watch and learn.
If you get published, you will need to read your own work—at readings, on the radio, on YouTube. Thomas Pynchon is the only author in America who doesn't do promotional work. And if you're going to do readings, you need to attend readings to see what works and what doesn't. If the author is a bad reader, you'll get the kind of ego boost that comes from knowing that you are better than the person onstage, but that's just a bonus. The point is this: Everybody is sick to death of bad readings, of uncomfortable authors murdering their own texts in the most boring or awkward way imaginable. But a good, charming reader is memorable and surprising. A good reader develops a rabid fan base. And the only way you can be a good reader is to do some serious thinking about what makes a reading successful. And the only way you can do that is by going to lots of readings.
But what makes a good reading? I'm glad you asked. In Questionland, Stinkbug asked me:
What are some of the best readings you've been to and what made them so great?
You can find my answer over there.
1
If you get published, you will need to read your own work
This makes me very sad. The art of writing and the art of performing at a lectern are very different, and not related. I say that as a voracious consumer of books who cannot bear the thought of attending another reading, however excellent it is in its own way.
2
"Thomas Pynchon is the only author in America who doesn't do promotional work."
And even he's gotten into that game. Witness this goofy promo video for "Inherent Vice":
http://www.thomaspynchon.com/inherent-vi…
And even he's gotten into that game. Witness this goofy promo video for "Inherent Vice":
http://www.thomaspynchon.com/inherent-vi…
3
I don't know--I read a lot of books, everyone I know reads a lot of books, the only people I know who've been to a reading are those who work in bookstores.
4
I would say it's much more important for those w/literary aspirations to do a lot of actual READING themselves. Then attend readings if you have time and there are some close by.
5
Don't put the cart before the horse. If you have literary aspirations, WRITE. If you've written and are about to be published this post's advice is right on.
6
The publicity of a book tour, and the public readings themselves, creates a number of positive benefits not measured by sheer attendance at the events.
When an author shows up to do a reading, it's more of a giveback to the already established fans (and some fellow authors or prospective authors).
The reading gets publicity itself, usually connects to a review of the book, and gives people an excuse to talk about the author's current, prior, and future works.
If connected with a book signing, it also creates a limited supply of signed copies of books - devoted fans can get personalized signings, whereas other people will notice the large display of signed copies and pick up a book on a whim and still others will travel to the bookstore to pick up one of these copies.
It's like comic books - you don't have to meet the author or hear them talk about it to buy it, or to enjoy it, but it's fun to do so - and the value (perceived) of signed copies is far higher than for unsigned copies.
When an author shows up to do a reading, it's more of a giveback to the already established fans (and some fellow authors or prospective authors).
The reading gets publicity itself, usually connects to a review of the book, and gives people an excuse to talk about the author's current, prior, and future works.
If connected with a book signing, it also creates a limited supply of signed copies of books - devoted fans can get personalized signings, whereas other people will notice the large display of signed copies and pick up a book on a whim and still others will travel to the bookstore to pick up one of these copies.
It's like comic books - you don't have to meet the author or hear them talk about it to buy it, or to enjoy it, but it's fun to do so - and the value (perceived) of signed copies is far higher than for unsigned copies.
8
All of @6's points contribute to the horror. Getting excited about a signature = sad. Thinking (almost always erroneously) that a signed copy is more valuable = sad. Wanting to (or believing that you do) belong to a "community" of "fans" = sad. Needing the excuse of a reading to talk about (or think about) a book = sad. Feeling that your enjoyment of a book is enhanced by proximity to an author's glow of personality = sad. Turning a book into a locus of celebrity culture = sad.
10
tiktok @3: Someone's going to readings. There are like five a night in Seattle on average, and usually at least one of those is attended by dozens of people. (One of them is also likely attended by just bookstore employees, but that's the way it goes.)
Gloomy Gus @5: That's a good point, but you can also learn a lot about writing from hearing people read their own writing.
Swearengen @7 I hate to say it, but there's no way Pynchon would be around if he tried to start writing today with his recluse act. And there are maybe three people in America as smart as Pynchon in terms of literary talent, so odds are the aspiring writer reading this is not one of those people.
Gloomy Gus @5: That's a good point, but you can also learn a lot about writing from hearing people read their own writing.
Swearengen @7 I hate to say it, but there's no way Pynchon would be around if he tried to start writing today with his recluse act. And there are maybe three people in America as smart as Pynchon in terms of literary talent, so odds are the aspiring writer reading this is not one of those people.
11
Let's learn to write before learning how to promote...oh, wait...that's how James Patterson did it, so never mind.
12
Alan Moore and Cormac McCarthy don't do much press and they both seem to have promissing careers...
13
@10 who are the other 3? Roth maybe?, DeLillo probably, annndddd? just guesses off the top of my head
14
@12 nah mccarthy did a bunch of NYT stuff when the road the book and no country for old men the movie came out
16
I'm pretty fried on readings, have been for a while. I'll admit to a life changing experience every once in a while and I do wish I'd had Gore Vidal sign United States, his collected essays, bout 10 years ago but on the whole...I'm over it.
BUT. How do you sign an ebook? Now that is the question...
BUT. How do you sign an ebook? Now that is the question...
17
This gets into a much broader area that fascinates me. I feel that if you work in a field about which you are passionate (and competent), you do yourself and others a disservice if you do not find a way to share that passion personally. Fnarf points out that there is no necessary link between being a good writer and being an entertaining reader, and that not everybody enjoys both, either giving or receiving. True enough. But to consider my own former career in scientific research, I looked at the terrible job some of my much more highly educated colleagues did of relating their work and its relevance to the general public (in contrast to their strictly scientific communications). I set myself the task of learning enough about the details of their projects so that (with permission and support) I could convey their work as well as mine to members of the general public of all educational levels who visited our institute. I also had to overcome my inherent shyness and stage fright. The net result was a big increase in public awareness, a lot of good will, and increases in private donations and funding at a time when other funding sources were dramatically diminished.
The reticence issue is interesting. I think there are far fewer "shy" kids overall now than in the sixties and seventies, primarily because of the ubiquitous all-our-children-are-above-average and everyone's-a-winner societal messages, but also thanks to plentiful instant feedback from home video and digital cameras allowing one to consciously improve the timbre and cadence of the speaking voice as it is experienced by others and to eliminate cowlicks, sartorial faux pas, and assorted distracting tics. Some professions, though, including writing and science, actually attract the socially awkward because they at least hold out the possibility of hermitude.
More...
The reticence issue is interesting. I think there are far fewer "shy" kids overall now than in the sixties and seventies, primarily because of the ubiquitous all-our-children-are-above-average and everyone's-a-winner societal messages, but also thanks to plentiful instant feedback from home video and digital cameras allowing one to consciously improve the timbre and cadence of the speaking voice as it is experienced by others and to eliminate cowlicks, sartorial faux pas, and assorted distracting tics. Some professions, though, including writing and science, actually attract the socially awkward because they at least hold out the possibility of hermitude.
18
Fnarf, I'd recommend you attend a night of Cheap Beer and Prose at the Hugo House before you swear off readings forever. I can't remember attending a better local reading, or seeing one better attended.
19
Cienna @18 is right, Fnarf. I've been to both CB&Ps and they were both a really good time. Kyle Regan even liked it!
20
Some of my favorite readings have been ones involving beer and writers, where they read their own works in progress, but most were at semi-parties, actually.
What is the value of a work of art? Is it more when the artist is dead? Why?
What is the value of a work of art? Is it more when the artist is dead? Why?
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