What I Did at the Weekend
On Saturday I had a book launch!
I read my book! I did out loud though, or it would have been boring for everyone else.
I gesticulated! Usually more wildly than that. That might have been the "being fellated" gesticulation during "Sonnets for Kouroi Old and New."
People listened! I took my jacket off cause it was hot cause there was so many people listening!
They didn't have to listen hard. I was shouty. You have to be shouty when you're doing an impression of ancient Greek philosopher Herakleitos as a Scots presbyterian minister.
See! I told you I was gesticulating wildly! That gesture probably isn't as rude as it might look.
Anyways, it all went swimmingly, so many thanks to Lou at Biblocafe for hosting, and to Erzebet at Papaveria for giving us all a reason for it in the first place. We all went to the pub afterward and got drunk. Then we went back to mine and got drunk some more. At one point, I remember reading the arse-wipe scene from Rabelais's Gargantua as a mark of "high literature". A benchmark of the international canon, and it pretty much kicks off with a shit joke. Which is also, I maintain, meant to be read aloud with great gusto.
(Photos courtesy of Paul Cockburn & Erzebet YellowBoy)
I read my book! I did out loud though, or it would have been boring for everyone else.
I gesticulated! Usually more wildly than that. That might have been the "being fellated" gesticulation during "Sonnets for Kouroi Old and New."
People listened! I took my jacket off cause it was hot cause there was so many people listening!
They didn't have to listen hard. I was shouty. You have to be shouty when you're doing an impression of ancient Greek philosopher Herakleitos as a Scots presbyterian minister.
See! I told you I was gesticulating wildly! That gesture probably isn't as rude as it might look.
Anyways, it all went swimmingly, so many thanks to Lou at Biblocafe for hosting, and to Erzebet at Papaveria for giving us all a reason for it in the first place. We all went to the pub afterward and got drunk. Then we went back to mine and got drunk some more. At one point, I remember reading the arse-wipe scene from Rabelais's Gargantua as a mark of "high literature". A benchmark of the international canon, and it pretty much kicks off with a shit joke. Which is also, I maintain, meant to be read aloud with great gusto.
(Photos courtesy of Paul Cockburn & Erzebet YellowBoy)
posted by Hal Duncan | 4:34 pm
4 Comments:
Really glad it went well for you Hal, I wish I could have been there. I should be able to make it back to the Writers' Circle meetings again in about a month. Looking forward to catching up with a pint.
Chris
you look great in suit and tie, you are a beauty ;-)
The book of poetry manages to be both sexy and scholarly reverent of the ancient mysteries. Dionysian, indeed!
Cheers all. :D
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