O P I N I O N
NOT THAT PROFOUND
By Nathan Graziano
I blame the 1990s and David Foster Wallace for my own delusions about book readings.
Following the release of Wallace’s magnum opus “Infinite Jest” in 19961, I can remember hearing tales of adoring fans lined up outside bookstores to hear Wallace read from his tome.
This was around the same time that my own literary aspirations started to surface, so I figured that I would write a book—piece of cake, right?—a publisher would fall in love with it, and suddenly I would be sharing my own stories of overflowing crowds with David Foster Wallace and Jonathan Franzen while sitting at a table together in some dimly-lit New York City speakeasy.
At this time in my literary life, my goals weren’t so much about writing a good book as they were about feeding my voracious ego.
So imagine my surprise when I actually did publish a book of stories in 2002, albeit with a small press, and realized there were more people in the bathroom stalls at the bookstores than there were sitting in the audience to hear me read from my book.
So I moved on to poetry readings and featured at a number of New England venues in my younger days, and I even did a small Midwestern tour for a book of my poetry in 2009.
But the type of readings that I once imagined—and seemed to be affirmed in the 2015 film about David Foster Wallace’s ascension to literary rock star, “The End of Tour”—they never really came to pass.
Sure, I did a few moderately successful readings at colleges that were well-attended—largely due to the fact that the professors required their students to be there—but no one was chomping at the bit to hear me read.
These days, I am somewhat embarrassed by the spotlight. And if we’re going to be completely honest, most book readings are usually pretty boring, unless the author is a seasoned performer, which is a rarity.
Therefore, when my new collection of short fiction titled “A Better Loser” was published by Roadside Press last month, I knew I would have to do some book readings to demonstrate to my publisher that I was trying to move copies, but I also didn’t want the readings to be all about me.
So I reached out to my friend Rob Azevedo, the co-owner of Pembroke City Limits (PCL), a fabulous bar and vegan restaurant in Suncook Village, and asked him if he would be willing to host me for a book signing and reading at his establishment where they serve alcohol to make even the dullest book reading tolerable.
Rob generously agreed, and I then told him about a caveat: I didn’t want it to be all about me. I didn’t want to chase away his PCL customers for an entire afternoon.
This Saturday, from 2-5 p.m., instead of a boring book reading by me, we’re going to utilize the PCL’s community ethos and open the stage to anyone who wants to read something, or play a song for other people, or tell some jokes, or perform anything they would like within the bounds of decency2.
Of course, I want to sell some books and make my publisher love me, but I also want to see people I know, and those that I don’t, sharing some food and drinks and art.
So, please, to anyone who is so inclined, come read with me on Saturday afternoon. I can guarantee that there are worse ways to pass your time3, and you might actually have some fun at a book reading (or sorts) for a change.
- I don’t personally know anyone who has actually finished the 1000-page novel. ↩︎
- Anyone planning a striptease should stay home. ↩︎
- Being poked in the eye is worse. ↩︎
You can reach Nathan Graziano at ngrazio5@yahoo.com.