So I had the first reading from my book tour, and it wasn’t a disaster. In fact, it went really well. The FIXX reading series, run by the amazing Amy Guth (which is pronounced “Gooth” btw). There was a nice crowd of people I know, and a couple of people who know the other readers, talented poets Jill Alexander Essbaum and Reb Livingston. It’s nice to be sandwiched between poets. Reminds me of grad school. And, yes, I made the same joke at the reading and no one laughed there either.
Amy said she could see me occasionally gripping my book with my index finger and then wincing in pain. I might not be able to blame that on the finger. I went through waves of what my friend Chelsea would call “reality orientation.” I’d forget that I was reading to an audience and concentrate on the book. Then I would remember the audience and try to force myself to slow down, sounding, no doubt, like the literary equivalent of the new driver, lead-footed and then slamming on the breaks.
In any event, the radio show sounded pretty good– I had “NPR voice.” I occurs to me that I should record my outgoing message in a radio studio. I no longer sounded like a 12 year old from Skokie, but an actual adult. Most of what I said almost made sense. You can listen here.
Next up, an interview with Rob Duffer for Time Out Chicago. Lord only knows what I said. I was intoxicated with coffee at the time, though, so I can’t really be responsible for my quotes.