The cable is out at the Brooklyn apartment where I'm staying - this is officially the longest I've gone without watching TV since I was around five, and boy does it ever feel weird.
I'm wifi-ing from a tiny "cyber" cafe with the wonkiest, most laptop-endangering tables on the east coast. A full cup of coffee, an iBook, and the catapult action of these special tables is a recipe for an expensive disaster. I'm safe so far, but I've witnessed some carnage. And the loud Lilith-y music isn't helping, I can tell you that.
Anyway, thanks to everyone who came to my "reading" at the Kettle of Fish in New York last night. I had good time. For those who couldn't make it, here's what happened:
I read a part of a chapter called "The Lord Rocks in Mysterious Ways." It was cool, and a relief, that people laughed at what were intended to be the funny bits - I'm so familiar with it by now that I can no longer tell the punch lines from the set-ups. It was the first time I had ever read out loud in public, and I was a little nervous, but in the end it was a lot of fun.
I played "King Dork," "I'm Still Not Done Loving You, Mama," "Gooey Glasses," and "I Wanna Ramone You." Then I had to stop because the baseball was starting.
Maybe I'll see you in New Haven on Saturday, yeah?
Posted by Dr. Frank at October 27, 2005 07:16 PM | TrackBackA word about your reading -- charming. Especially after a way-too-long-in-second-person prologue. "I Wanna Ramone You" was pleasantly stuck in my head for the next hour. And so I must ask, what are you going to do with the songs? I vote for an ep bundled with the hardcover. Also, if you are in Brooklyn, I hope you hit Barcade. Again, thanks for a fantastic half-hour.
Posted by: Lisa at October 27, 2005 07:57 PMMore words about your reading: very enjoyable. I'm really looking forward to the book. In that short reading I already felt I can relate to Tom.
Words about the songs: they sounded great. And when you played the songs "written" by Tom, I had that same wonderfully uneasy feeling I had when I first heard REM's "Voice of Harold." I can tell you enjoyed writing from someone else's persepctive.
Posted by: Hakker at October 27, 2005 10:06 PMThanks a lot Lisa - glad you liked it. What's Barcade, and how do I hit it?
Hakker: yeah, it was really fun to make up the songs, and I'm glad to hear they worked on you.
Posted by: Dr. Frank at October 28, 2005 06:39 PMLoved the reading. Gushy, gushy fan stuff. I just really like the way you seem to tackle profound things in a sort of unprofound way, hence making it profound (follow?).
Anyway, riding the Metro North Train out to the New Haven show and back to the city. The last train leaves New Haven at Midnight - do you think your set will be finished in time for me to hop back to the city or would I have to park bench it?
Posted by: Obie at October 28, 2005 09:54 PMBarcade is a bar filled with arcade-style video games. Like Tapper. You "hit" it by buying a sweet, sweet beer and putting a quarter in the machine. www.barcadebrooklyn.com
Posted by: Lisa at October 29, 2005 01:28 AMHad to miss the reading unfortunately, But I'm on track to see the Rudy's show. Wish I had been to the reading though from the sound of it, it was certainly worth the trip out!
Posted by: Rich at October 29, 2005 01:51 AMAs someone who grew up in Brooklyn, I'll note that there's an antique device called an "antenna" that is still sold in stores for around $15 or so, and you can connect it to a tv, and in NYC at least see, unless you're in a particularly horrible locaion (and admittedly broadcast patterns may have changed after the antennas on the WTC went; I left town in December of 01 and so can't speak to that), ABC, CBS, NBC, two or three PBS stations, plus channels 5 and 11 (I forget which is WB and UPN these days, since I didn't grow up with that).
Just saying that if you're so bothered, there's a fairly cheap available partial fix in a nearby store.
Posted by: Gary Farber at October 30, 2005 12:42 AMDr. Frank saved us all from an excruciating night of description-heavy, plot-thin chicklit, and injected some seriously needed humor and dorkitude. Cheers to Frank!
Posted by: Adamonkey at October 30, 2005 01:40 AMJust got in from the New Haven show. It was awesome! Lucid Mike wasn't half bad either. Thanks for the fun times Doc!
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voice of harold? its a must.
Posted by: railroad bum at October 31, 2005 05:31 PM