(Charles Kruger)

This past Friday night (6/10/11), I attended the now bi-monthly Literary Death Match, at the Elbo Room. I have a love-hate relationship with this reading series, and I suspect I am not alone. The producers themselves have referred to aspects of the LDM as “harebrained” or, more kindly, “audacious.”

How wild does it get? I recall the debut performance of current hostess Alia Volz and former host mg martin with a cringe along with my chuckles. As it was their “virgin” performance, the finale consisted of having contestants attempt to “pop their cherries” – said cherries were balloons filled with stage blood and covering their genitals, which contestants (distinguished authors all) attempted to puncture with darts. By the end, the platform was covered with stage blood and Alia looked like she was starring in a revival of “Carrie.” Were we having fun, or what?

There is certainly a kind of carnival pleasure in presenting “high culture” (and in this instance, the emphasis is clearly on “high” as much as “culture”) in such a low manner. Read the rest of this entry »

(Nicole McFeely)

Featured event: Quiet Lightning: Neighborhood Heroes, v.3

When was the last time you saw Tamim Ansary, D.A. Powell, Meg Day, Jack Boulware, Jane Ganahl, Rob Brezsny, Steven Gray, Caitlin Myer, Graham Gremore, and William Taylor Jr. on the same stage? Come on. When is the last time you saw them in the same room? Never. I repeat. Never. And, you never will if you miss Quiet Lightning‘s show tomorrow, Monday June 6th. A series so badass, Matthew-James DeCoster once changed his flight to make it in time (and it wasn’t even a Neighborhood Heroes show)! It should go without saying that “momentous” doesn’t really do the occasion justice. Read the rest of this entry »