First Novel Reading

                                                                                   December 9, 2010

     So Friday night was my first big reading!  I was psyched to get out there and let the world hear a little "I  Don't Know Jack."  I dressed up.  Wore the nice jeans not the mommy ones and believe me there is a difference.  Put on my makeup like I used to do for nights out clubbing.  And loaded my bag with BOOKS to sell!  Then headed down to Tribeca for the reading.  Now I'll give you this it was a small start.  A reading that a fellow grad student was putting on in support of her budding theater company.  But by start time the small room was packed!  A wonderful sign.  Plus, the first few readers were fantastic.  They spanned the arc of fiction, memoir and monologue.  What a treat these writers were to hear, and they'd brought with them an excellent group of literary aficionados.
     I was the first reader after the break.  I'd finished my one glass of wine, enough to take the edge off, but not enough to cause slurring, a fine line on an empty stomach.  Listened to my introduction and then walked up to the podium.  My BOOKS stacked neatly on the table next to me.  I couldn't believe I was reading next to a pile of my own BOOKS.  It was a little surreal.  I smiled, gave a brief summary of where I was reading from in the novel, opened the book in my hand (saw my own name on the cover, and got giddy) then began.
    Now an important note to myself when reading from a book where the main character is a man... make sure the audience gets it.  For the first few lines, as I described my ex girlfriend seductively sprawled out on the couch, I could see the audience trying to place me in the scene.  But it wasn't my scene it was Jack's.  So I tried to make it clear when I read the standing up pissing part that I was, indeed, reading as a man.  By that point, I'm pretty sure they were with me.  Or else they just thought I was a very strange girl.
     As I continued on they were definitely riding my wave and it felt great.  I wasn't a let down after the other readers, but an addition to help round out a night of excellent storytelling.  I even got a few laughs, even better, they were at the right places!  As I read my last line, "I'm finding in paranoia there is clarity," the room filled with applause and I left the podium feeling certain my words had rested on a few hearts that night.
     Now for the most amazing part.  I did not sell a single BOOK.  Here I was surrounded by a room full of kindred spirits.  Artists, writers, actors and creative types that find themselves at readings on Friday nights... of course that explains it right there.  We're all broke!
     So I took with me some really great compliments, left a few cards in hopes people will go to the website, and walked out into the cool city air.  It was a beautiful night for a stroll, just me and my bag of Books!!!    

I Don't Know Jack