Readings, Rated
The Danny’s Reading Series
Wednesday, April 28th, 2007
This was the most thrilling reading I’ve attended since I saw Jonathan Franzen recreate the orgasmic yelps of an injured soccer mom at the Chicago Humanities Festival in 2002, and Michael Friedman is to thank. Maybe I’m sheltered, but I was completely unfamiliar with his work until last month. I came for Matthew Zapruder (who read a terrific poem about Canada) and caught Matthew Roher (pretty good himself), but it was Friedman and his deadpan recitation of an epic story about Richard Gere and Julia Roberts that won my heart. I forever pledge my allegiance to Martian Dawn. The thirty-odd people in attendance were totally receptive to all of the readers, but seemed to favor Zapruder (indicating as much through an increased emission of those same knowing laughs you heard watching Sideways in the theater). The audience was also surprisingly compliant with the (new?) request to refrain from smoking except during breaks (wuddup with that?). This was the best reading in Chicago’s best series since Danny’s hosted Sam Lipsyte a few years ago.
Erp! The non-smoking policy is about a year old, and makes excellent sense. They ask smokers not to puff during readings, so they can turn off the smoke ventilators, thus allowing the audience to hear the reader.
I wonder, re: Martian Dawn, if Friedman was doing it deadpan, or if it was just delivered straight. He seemed to have little to no affect. Same with the book.