launch of the reader

volume 2 of the reader was launched last night at horse bazaar in the city by editor aden rolfe, accompanied by two readings from the journal. such a sultry night required an icy beer, which was thusly acquired. aden rolfe spoke about the emerging writers' festival and the reader, and the relationship between the two - less strange bedfellows, more passionate lovers (this is my metaphor, please forgive me), he talked about community, discussion and conversation.

sean m whelan read aloud his piece the pitfalls of public speaking, or how to lose friends, alienate an audience and never get invited back. he spoke very well, within a reasonable time limit, with lots of eye contact, respect for the microphone and no apologies.

then lou sanz treated us to your literary career: choose your own adventure. while she chose our adventures for us (started a blog, applied for a grant, recorded a spoken word cover of mandy moore's 'crush') but she really got me laughing - in a kind of spit-out-your-beer, gasping, shocked kind of way - when listing the necessities for life as a writer...and came to: 'it would also do you good to develop an irreverance to augusten burroughs (eg. he's just like me, but i'm not gay, he's the symbolic cock in the arse of my life)...'

in the reader you'll find fiction, non-fiction, poetry, sci-fi erotica, illustrations...it's a cornucopia, nay, a farrago of writerly stuffs. go out and get yourself a copy. it's totally worth it.

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