rismckeemakingnonsense
https://www.google.com/search?q=rismckee.makingnonsense@blogger.com
ChristinaPhelps
Thursday, October 6, 2022
rismckeemakingnonsense salutations!
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Monday, March 23, 2020
Thursday, March 7, 2019
Fwd:
Rismckee https://goo.gl/JptLDw
Christina
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Christina Phelps <rismckee@yahoo.com>
Date: Thursday, March 07, 2019 06:12:51 PM
Subject:
To: <rismckee.makingnonsense@blogger.com>
From: Christina Phelps <rismckee@yahoo.com>
Date: Thursday, March 07, 2019 06:12:51 PM
Subject:
To: <rismckee.makingnonsense@blogger.com>
Friday, April 20, 2018
Friday, December 25, 2015
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
readings and readers
I went to a reading a few weeks ago at KGB Bar, and I was struck by how different the two readers were. The first read a short speech about how the recent US publication of his first published novel came about, and he then read the first two chapters of his novel. The second gave a short introduction (a sentence or two) and read two nonconsecutive chapters from her novel (also her first, I believe).
He was less expressive (though I overheard an audience member breathlessly tell him that his acting experience showed in his reading ability - gag me), almost monotone, and when he read the female characters' dialogue in his deep monotone voice, I nearly laughted out loud. The style of his writing was thesaurus-use-evident, the words overly expressive, overly explanatory in content, overly allusion-heavy, overly un-lyrical. Almost hard-boiled without the crime or the detection.
She was expressive leading toward the way people read to small children - but in the most enjoyable way possible. There were a lot of characters speaking in interesting ways. It was so funny and real, and I can't wait to buy her book.
I went to the reading at KGB last night too (really, any excuse to order Baltika 6), and it was such a pleasurable experience. Gary Lutz and Robert Lopez.
First Gary lutz. So funny. And sad and seriously human and whimsical and wonderful. Such unexpected word usage and phrasing. Read a story called "Divorcer" with a dozen or so segments, some in first person some in third, and I want to reread it so I can keep track of the points of view. And because it was so lovely and pleasurable. It's funny though, thinking about his reading style, which was unpolished but very comfortable. He knows that piece and he has practiced, has read it before, but his voice is a writer's voice, not a performer's.
Favorite line: "She moved to the devouring city, though it barely nibbled her." So beautiful.
Robert Lopez's book of stories, Asunder, just came out, and he read a few short pieces. He read also like a writer, but like a writer who is the only authority on how his fiction should sound. How it sounded when it came to him. When it hit the keys. Phrasing and emphasis that might not jump off the page at the reader. His reading added a layer in the most wonderful way. There was one place where it particularly delighted me: the way it came out: "there was spittle on his chin. And beard." As if there was beard on his chin and not spittle on his beard. I'm actually not sure which way it should be...
Favorite line: "She wants me to touch her places." With the emphasis on places.
Something also so human about Lopez's prose but in a more pointed way than Lutz's. More aggressive somehow. I want to read more of both of them. Really enjoyable evening.
There's more where that came from.
He was less expressive (though I overheard an audience member breathlessly tell him that his acting experience showed in his reading ability - gag me), almost monotone, and when he read the female characters' dialogue in his deep monotone voice, I nearly laughted out loud. The style of his writing was thesaurus-use-evident, the words overly expressive, overly explanatory in content, overly allusion-heavy, overly un-lyrical. Almost hard-boiled without the crime or the detection.
She was expressive leading toward the way people read to small children - but in the most enjoyable way possible. There were a lot of characters speaking in interesting ways. It was so funny and real, and I can't wait to buy her book.
I went to the reading at KGB last night too (really, any excuse to order Baltika 6), and it was such a pleasurable experience. Gary Lutz and Robert Lopez.
First Gary lutz. So funny. And sad and seriously human and whimsical and wonderful. Such unexpected word usage and phrasing. Read a story called "Divorcer" with a dozen or so segments, some in first person some in third, and I want to reread it so I can keep track of the points of view. And because it was so lovely and pleasurable. It's funny though, thinking about his reading style, which was unpolished but very comfortable. He knows that piece and he has practiced, has read it before, but his voice is a writer's voice, not a performer's.
Favorite line: "She moved to the devouring city, though it barely nibbled her." So beautiful.
Robert Lopez's book of stories, Asunder, just came out, and he read a few short pieces. He read also like a writer, but like a writer who is the only authority on how his fiction should sound. How it sounded when it came to him. When it hit the keys. Phrasing and emphasis that might not jump off the page at the reader. His reading added a layer in the most wonderful way. There was one place where it particularly delighted me: the way it came out: "there was spittle on his chin. And beard." As if there was beard on his chin and not spittle on his beard. I'm actually not sure which way it should be...
Favorite line: "She wants me to touch her places." With the emphasis on places.
Something also so human about Lopez's prose but in a more pointed way than Lutz's. More aggressive somehow. I want to read more of both of them. Really enjoyable evening.
There's more where that came from.
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