Friday, July 22, 2011

A Splendid Time is Guaranteed for All

I’m happy to be in good company when I read selections from my book at an event being billed as “A Midsummer Night's Fiction,” Saturday July 30, 6:00 pm. The fun will be happening at Oriole 9, a restaurant on Tinker Street in the center of Woodstock, NY.

Also reading his fiction will be my friend Robert Burke Warren, whose son once married my daughter in a mock Indian wedding at summer camp. The last time I heard him do a music set (at ‘Cue) I was wondering who gave him a list of my favorite songs. And he writes some darn good book reviews on Goodreads too. Here's his bio:

Robert Burke Warren has held down bass duties in rock bands, written songs with Rosanne Cash, performed the lead in the hit West End musical Buddy: the Buddy Holly Story, and introduced legions of families to interactive music via his award-winning, Grammy-nominated “rock of all ages” persona Uncle Rock (“Buddy Holly meets Shel Silverstein.” - LA Times).His prose has appeared in Texas Music, Brooklyn Parent, the Woodstock Times, vulture.com, Chronogram, and the Da Capo anthology The Show I’ll Never Forget.

The third member of our fiction threesome is Alethea Black. I’ve never met Alethea, but I do know that she’s done something difficult: she got a literary short story collection traditionally published in the current marketplace. Plus, I like that she called me a "splendid hipster" on her website (that calls for a "LOL," doesn't it?). More about her:

Alethea Black's debut collection of short stories, I KNEW YOU'D BE LOVELY (Broadway Books/Random House), has been called "smart ... full of heart" by Joan Silber and "downright brilliant" by Robert Olen Butler. Her work has won the Arts & Letters Prize, has been cited as distinguished in The Best American Short Stories, and has been read at venues around the country by such talents as Campbell Scott and Michael Cerveris.

I have no doubt this will be an entertaining evening!

Wine, beer, coffee, tea, lemonade available for purchase from Oriole 9. Flasks frowned upon.
Oriole 9: 17 Tinker Street, 845-679-5763

The event is co-sponsored by The Golden Notebook and is a presentation of Rock City Readings, curated by Teresa Giordano and Jana Martin.

About Rock City Readings:
Rock City Readings began in 2009 when, after spending a week in her Saugerties summer home, founder Teresa Giordano realized that although she was surrounded by opportunities to hike, kayak, and bike, what she really wanted was to hear good stories. So she started Rock City Readings. With some persistence and an introduction to Chronogram Books Editor Nina Shengold, she was able to host and present such authors as Helen Benedict, Jon Bowermaster, Cornelius Eady, James Lasdun, and more. Jana Martin became a welcome and frequent reader, a loyal audience member and in 2011 a partner and co-curator of the series. Jana's energy and vision brought the series to a new level of creativity.