Anderbo @ KGB = Lovely
by David Backer
Posted on July 29th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
Anderbo had a lovely reading two nights ago at the KGB Bar. This is an excellent journal that boasts a million hits a year thanks to the prodigious efforts of its editor Rick Rofihe, who sat in the center of the bar like a conductor orchestrating the presentation of eight highly enjoyable pieces.
Some highlights: First, Sally Bliumis-Dunn read several crisp and heartfelt poems from her collection “Talking Underwater.” Then Adam Gallari, in from England, read a character sketch of a 6’6” baseball player in the second person, rhythmically accusing the audience of Chasing Adonis. In confident cadence Bridget Bell read an invigorating poem “Our Small Pets,” published in Pedestal Magazine, that says “We named our goldfish Chaos. It lived for a hundred years.” (I had to thank her personally for this particular line. If there’s one thing you read from this list of links, read that poem, preferably aloud.) Anna Lisa McClelland read a well-voiced piece from an unpublished novel, getting perhaps the most laughs out of us. Then finally Caroline Silveira read her playful-wishful-smart “How James Franco Became My Boyfriend”, ending her story and the event with a happy ending.
Afterward I introduced myself to Rofihe and, laughing, he handed me an Anderbo t-shirt. I wear it today with pride.
David, I really valued your presence at the reading, and certainly appreciate this shout-out now, and I know that Anderbo Senior Editor June Eding, who introduced the six readers, including poet Stephanie Paterik who read “In the Hammock” http://www.anderbo.com/anderbo1/apoetry-095.html and other poems, does, too. (I would have tried for eight readers, but then Anderbo might have been booted from the wonderful KGB Bar for going overtime.) As for me, I was trying very hard to sit down, shut up, and blend, as much as possible, into the overflow audience — obviously I failed at this, but at least the reading itself was successful.
Again, much thanks,
RR
[...] David Backer is a KGB addict. Read his reports of recent readings at KGB Bar hosted by lit mags Anderbo and InDigest. (I’m curious: Is KGB the most literary bar in [...]
“In confident cadence Bridget Bell read an invigorating poem “Our Small Pets,” published in Pedestal Magazine, that says “We named our goldfish Chaos. It lived for a hundred years.” (I had to thank her personally for this particular line. If there’s one thing you read from this list of links, read that poem, preferably aloud.) Anna Lisa McClelland read a well-voiced piece from an unpublished novel, getting perhaps the most laughs out of us. Then finally Caroline Silveira read her playful-wishful-smart “How James Franco Became My Boyfriend”, ending her story and the event with a happy ending.”
How much is it true?