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Lit fans! TNB fans! Bookish folk! AWPers! Hold onto your hats, it’s time for some TNB served up in a Rocky Mountain oyster stew. That’s right, TNB’s Literary Experience (TNBLE) is coming to downtown Denver, Colorado!
WHEN: Thursday, April 8th. Doors at 6pm; program begins at 7pm
WHERE: Meadowlark 2701 Larimer St. / Denver, CO 80205, (303) 293-0251.
Readers will include award-winning author Alexander Chee (The Queen of the Night / Edinburgh), Ben Loory (his story “The TV” is in this week’s New Yorker magazine!), Tom Hansen (American Junkie), Gina Frangello (Slut Lullabies / My Sister’s Continent), Aaron Dietz, Megan DiLullo, Erika Rae, and poet Erica Dawson. Denver’s own Col. Hector Bravado from DenverSixShooter.com will emcee.
Live music from Hideous Men, Iuengliss and Ryat will follow at 9pm.
Happy Hour goes from 4-7, $1 PBR, $2 wells and domestics.
No cover; $5 suggested donation.
For more information please contact Erika Rae – [email protected].
Don’t forget yer spurs.
I wasn’t able to squeeze into the line-up, but there was this time when Ben Loory said I could hold his paper while he read. Don’t tell me you gave away my job to someone else, Ben! I still want it!
it’s all you, aaron! practice up!
Sweet!
Hey you, say you will. Megan’s writing you…
Awesome! I’m in!
And I’m working on something very fun to put on. In a couple ways.
What a star-studded lineup. Please take good video!
The crazy thing, Greg, is that there are going to be A LOT of TNBers there. I know of at least 17 TNB writers who plan to attend (many will be there in conjunction with the AWP). I wish we had time for everyone to read!
I’m hoping to participate in a TNBLE this summer or fall. I need to get out of town for a bit and this would be the perfect opportunity to do so.
AWESOME LINE UP!!
Who would have thought we Coloradans had it in us? hahaha When Megan, Uche and I first got together, we were laughing that we could get away with faking a TNB event at one of our houses. And now (thanks to the AWP) we have TNBers coming out of the woodwork. 17 writers to be there!
Break a leg, you TNBLErs!
You know, if you keep posting these, I may have to become a groupie. I do get to travel (domestically) quite a bit – I could just hop from “LE” to “LE”, lurking in person instead of virtually. Start noting your wait staff. See if the same face shows up from town to town. For any “Blackadder” fans, this is a great “Prince Ludwig the Indestructible” moment.
“Yes! I was Big Sally”
‘But didn’t we…?!”
“Yes, Lord Melchett!! Baaaaa!!!! Baaaaaa!!!!”
‘Such a disappointment for a girl…’
“When I am King of England, no one will ever dare call me Shorty-Greasy-Spot-Spot again!”
I have no idea what you two are going on about. However, I will be on the lookout for a fedora clad person at the reading.
Ha. Well, either disregard entirely or see if you can rent/download Season 2 of Rowan Atkinson’s “Blackadder II”. For the specifically-referenced nonsense above, it would be the episode entitled “Chains”.
And, before you go accosting fedoraed strangers, I’m quite certain my initial comment can be filed under “whimsy” (which appears just before “wishful thinking” in our catalog). Besides, that would be a bit obvious, wouldn’t it?
Yeah, Anon, Season 2 of Rowan Atkinson’s “Blackadder II” is also Rodent’s fave. I just searched netflix for it, but they only list Blackadder III and IV, dunno Y. You’d said you liked IV the least. It’s about WWII or post-WWII, I think. And I think Season 3 is set in the Restoration Period. Did you like Season 3?
Season 4 was set in the trenches of WWI. It wasn’t bad, mind you, but it seemed a bit more bleak. If “bleak” wasn’t already rampant in the Anon household (we lost our older dog, my gentle giant, this past Tuesday morning – hasn’t been a dry eye in the house since), I’d watch it again and see if it struck me differently.
I enjoyed Season 3 immensely – “Blackadder II” was my overall favorite but the final episode of 3 (see if Rodent chuckles at “a pair of Wellingtons”) was tops in my book. Finally – justice for Blackadder!
Anon, Rodent sez you know your Blackadder way better than he does—-and he and his family are total Blackadder fans. I’ve never seen the series but recall descrips of Baldrick telling Blackadder about his novel which consisted of this sentence only: “There was once a sausage called Baldrick.”
Yes, I am a huge fan. Didn’t care as much for the final installment but I thought the whole thing was brilliant. I’ve stopped dropping bits of dialog in public, though, as most people 1. haven’t seen Blackadder, 2. have no sense of history, 3. don’t get context and 4. already think I’m a bit “off”, so back away slowly due to the combined effect of points 1-3.
Well, no-name fedora-face, folks who think you’re a bit “off” may be right. [JUST KIDDING, Anon!]
What’s funny to some is stoopid to others. I never did go a bundle on Curly, Moe and Larry or even the Marx Brothers, but their humour didn’t require much historical context. You’ve got an important point about *context* and humour. Without some fair knowledge of English history, Blackadder’s meaningless. Even some chunks of Monty Python can be meaningless unless you grasp the culture from which it grew.
I love discussions about humour; prob is that they’re usually humourless.
Ha. No, no – they’re quite right in their assessment of me. The problem is, they don’t have much experience with folks of my ilk so they laugh when I’m deadly serious (because they aren’t capable of that level of seriousness) and get nervous when I joke about seemingly serious things (because they aren’t philosophical enough to laugh about what they’ve been programmed to fear). In short, we’re back to “cultural context”.
I never cared much for the Marx Brother or Stooges, either, although I loved Abbott and Costello (once saw some outtakes from their films and Costello was an hysterically foul-mouth little bugger). And I love watching the original Warner Bros Bugs Bunny cartoons now because of all the adult humor embedded in them that went right over my head as a child.
Yeeeeeeee-haw!
Dietz I want you to beat up some random audience member during my reading
Aw! I wanted to be the one Aaron beat up!
Pouting now.
. . .holy crap, this is gonna’ be a great show! . . . all that talent, and nate at the reins . . . looks like i’m gonna’ have to surrender my status as loory’s paper-holder, though . . .
you’ll always hold the paper to my heart…
Oh Ben,
That is just the sweetest thing!
Aren’t they precious?
Looking forward to seeing everyone. I’ll be in the audience actin’ a straight up fool.
Wish you could read, too, Uche! But noo–oo-oo. You had to ditch us to read in NYC. What’s New York got that Denver doesn’t? (Don’t answer that.) Glad you’ll at least be there, though. You get to play Mork from Ork.
Erika, whatsis about Uche reading in NYC? Wonderful! Tell us about it, please, Justin Case some of us can get there. And if we cannot, we can at least get the word out.
March 26th:
http://www.thenervousbreakdown.com/kwetherell/2010/03/the-nervous-breakdowns-literary-experience-at-happy-ending-lounge-in-new-york-city-032610/
Thank you, sweetie! ‘Bout time I woke up and started off with the blog each day. Hope we get some nice video of the NYC lit experience! Uche’s so brill; he’s not gonna read his PhD thesis, is he?
Missed all this fun. No, it’s pretty much determined I’ll be reading my PhD antithesis. I’m definitely looking forward to it.
Your antithesis will be well and truly welcomed, Uche.
Video Video Video!
Knock ’em dead, all! Superb line-up! Hope Denver realizes how fortunate it is.
Now when are we going to throw a similar fest in Seattle? Besides Tom and me, which other TNB-ers are Pacific Northwest denizens? The newly minted arts venue, the Canoe Club, would be the perfect venue: http://canoesocialclub.com/about
I read there recently for an upcoming KUOW piece and everything from its acoustics to full bar and comfy sofas (in addition to standard tables and chairs) make it an ideal lit setting.
But Erika Rae,
It’s REALLY cold there!
Aw, come on, ya wuss. April won’t be bad. Um, unless we get a snowstorm. Which could happen, being an El Nino year. Actually, we’re sort of expecting a huge dump in the next few weeks or so. Had 8 ft up here the last El Nino at the end of March. OK, now I’M sort of wussing out. I really, really need a beach.
I’d be down for something at the Canoe
[…] Thanks to Kimberly for organizing the event, to my fellow readers, and to the audience. I’m refreshed, inspired, and ready to welcome the AWP refugees seeking asylum in my own patch to the next installment in this wandering adventure, TNB LE Denver. […]
[…] April 8: TNB-LE – Denver […]
Well, shit.
If I had known about this, I wouldn’t have *delete deLETE DELETE*ed all of those emails from AWP reminding me to show up.
“Fuck off already, AWP,” I said.
Now I pay the price.
I wish I was there! If anything, just to pick on Erika Rae’s kids.
You wouldn’t stand a chance. My kids would pick you to pieces before you ever got a chance to start in on them.
I’ll wear a Nerf bandolier for suction-cup bullets and carry two automatics…
A Nerf bandolier.
Let me try that again.
A Nerf bandolier.
Nope, I got nothin’.
This is some goddamn line-up. If everyone would like to have a drink for me, please?
Oh my god. Yes! Me too. Have a drink for me as well.
Don’t you two mean, “Have only one bottle of wine each for us, since we are such total lightweights”?
Just tell those Denver folks not to invite any passing intoxicated gay man into their apartments.
I have already designated a driver in your honor, my friends.
HAH. It’s true. Lightweights!! Make mine a bourbon in a can.
Make MINE bourbon in a can in a paper bag! HaHA!
(This is veering out of control…)
One time! ONE TIME!
And he left when asked! Even if he did sulk about it.
You made him cry.
You shouldn’t have made him cry, Simon. As a full-fledged Jedi you should be able to control emotions more effectively than that.
And I want mine in a 40 oz tall boy.
That’s what I said.
ROFLMAO!! Nice, Zara.
Wait – were you being literal or was that mildly crude double-entendre?
That’s what she said.
Me? Crude? You must be talking about another girl….
Pity. (:
But now, seriously – to bed with me. Thank you – and all other guilty parties – for vastly improving my mood this evening.
Given my well-developed sense of charity, I am willing to have a drink for both of you. I’ll likely wait until tomorrow, if that’s alright. I’m about ready to turn in and don’t want to waste.
Okay. Tomorrow will be fine.
With a foam-dome, you could help us both out at the same time!
Dare me to read wearing a foam dome. Oh please!
Put your hands together, brothers and sisters – bourbon in a can in a foam-dome!!
DOUBLE DARE!!!!
Double-dog dare you….
I would like to channel Rob Bloom at this point: physical challenge!
It will hide my freshly mini-pooed hair quite nicely, I think. Weren’t you going to bed?
Are you drinking, Anon?
Triple dog double dog bourbon in a paperbag DARE you.
I wonder if you can make a foam dome out of a fedora…
Ooo – the gloves have been thrown down! You guys south of the equator are hardcore.
Now, off to find a couple cans of Fanta in which to hide bourbon…
Erika, indeed I was but then this conversation grabbed my interest. And no, I am without drink this evening. I am a sad panda.
Man, if I thought I could get them through customs, I would bring you a six pack of bourbon in a can when we come to see you in June.
Truly? TRULY? Bourbon in a can? And I thought you were joshin’ this whole time. You New Zealanders are hardcore.
Wait, wait – you guys don’t have bourbon in a can?
Holy shit.
Land of the Free my ass!
I wish I was lying!!!
But it’s true. Bourbon in a can is much beloved by bogan’s here! It’s called Woodstock and the catchphrase is ” Crack a Woody.”
Claasssssssy.
Poor sad panda…wearing a foam dome with bourbon in a can. There there.
We shall have to discuss your itinerary so I may best plan a menu, adequate beverages and/or supplies of ammunition (though I confess I misled you – there is no flamethrower).
Somebody gimme a six pack of bourbon in a can, and I bet I can build a goddamn flamethrower 🙂
What?? No Flamethrower?
We’ll make do with a barbed wire obstacle course. Would you like us to bring the beverages? You can see how classy we are with alcohol from the comments above…
Zara don’t you want a Fanta? Don’t you want a wanta Fanta?
To hide your bourbon Santa?
Don’t you wanta Fanta?
@Slade – a 6 pack of bourbon in a can and you’ll BE the goddam flamethrower.
I feel like I was channeling Archie Bunker with that last one.
Richrob,
I DO WANT A FANTA.
With extra bourbon.
Zara: Not at all, dear. It’ll be nice to dust off my hosting skills along with the water-cooled .30-caliber. Bring nothing but your smiles.
Upon our meeting in the US and A I will provide you with more Fanta than you could ever hope to conceivably consume. And if you’re lucky, some of those cans will be pre-filled with bourbon. But you will have to find them like Charlie did in the Chocolate Factory.
The Force, however, is strong with you.
Smile is already in place.. Roll on June!
Richrob,
Pre-mixed bourbon in Fanta sounds like heaven. I cannot wait.
Wow. Crack a Woody. That is the sign of a superior civilization right thar, I tell you what. But what are these “bogans” of which you speak. I am but a cavegirl. Your world frightens and amazes me.
Where is Simon when I need him??
A bogan is very hard to explain. This might help…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bogan
Well done, Zara. I now know what a bogan is. Excellent.
I love bogans. They are brilliant. I’ll bring you over along with the Woody.
It’s a redneck! And I can direct you toward many thousands of that particular specimen.
Can’t wait to see you all there!
Jesus! I didn’t know it was going to be a piss-up. No fair! I haven’t been practicing!
BYOFD
(That is, Bring Your Own Foam Dome)
[…] and other guests And for the first time in person the charming hostess. AWP came to Denver town So TNB Colorado laid it down We got organized and knew the time like Movado Thanks for Erika, Megan, and Hector Bravado Met Tom […]