i am doing two readings in the next seven days (and going to paris in between) and was blogged about in a "fantasy" conversation on htmlgiant

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reading #1

wed 5.20.09 "i had it bad" reading series

featuring my roommate ben blum, lisa locascio, lucrecia zappi, and me

8pm, happy ending, nyc

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reading #2

tue 5.26.09 elimae: a reading

featuring Shya Scanlon; my Gigantic co-editors Lincoln Michel and Rozalia Jovanovic; my friends Kimberly King Parsons, Justin Taylor, Nicolle Elizabeth, Tao Lin, Todd Zuniga, Sasha Graybosch and Dennis DiClaudio; other great writers Nick Antosca, John Madera, Timmy Waldron, Forrest Roth, Terese Svoboda, Barry Graham, Dawn Raffel, Eric Nusbaum; me, and possibly

7pm, kgb bar, nyc

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also, i ate at peter luger's last night and am playing on the new yorker softball team this summer.

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UPDATE #1 (5/19/09, a little later):

make that two readings, one steak, softball, and ONE COMPED ROUND-TRIP TICKET TO PARIS, MAKING A DELIVERY OF INTERNATIONAL PROPORTIONS FOR WORK.

if you know any awesome paris friends you think i should meet, please let me know, as i would love to meet them.

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UPDATE #2 (5/19/09, a little later than later):

jimmy chen blogged about me, tao lin, and ha jin in a "fantasy" gchat situation on htmlgiant.

An excerpt:

Jimmy: ha jin's in the background rubbing one out
me: had bacon, nachos, elk or something, iced tea, and breast milk for dinner
am i going to die
6:32 PM Jimmy: that's not vegan, and yes we all eventually die

i am doing a reading

i am doing a reading at columbia this friday night, as part of the 5th annual Howl festival. i will be reading from jack kerouac's on the road, accompanied by former beats collaborator and musician david amram. reading along with me are gabriella thiesen and my good friend and poet, the wonderful dawn marie knopf. (fancy looking ecard thing here.) a description as follows:

HOWL

7:30-10 p.m. in Brownie's Café in Avery Hall and 301 Philosophy Hall

For the fifth year, alumni, students, and friends—including James, Yeh, Gabriella Thiesen, and Dawn Marie Knopf—will bring their own voices to Columbia's Beat tradition. Original student and alumni poetry will be read in Brownie's Café in Avery Hall beginning at 7:30 p.m. From 8-10 p.m. in 301 Philosophy there will be musical performances by the David Amram Trio; remarks and readings by Ann Douglas; David Shapiro; Joyce Johnson; Penny Vlagopoulos; and students and alumni, culminating in the reading of selections from Ginsberg's "Kaddish".

I'm doing readings

("samuel_and_julia_read_duet_by_joumana.jpg")

Dear Internet and/or Real-life Friend,

I will be doing two readings next week. The first is at the Ding Dong Reading Series near Columbia and the second is at the Earshot Reading Series in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I promise to read something different at each reading and "to take some chances". As always, I also promise to be funny and/or interesting and not go on too long.

Reading along with me, among others, at the Ding Dong will be the exemplary Ed Park (author of Personal Days, founding editor of The Believer).

Further details listed below.

Thank you,
James

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wed 2/18
8pm
ding dong reading series
ding dong lounge
929 columbus avenue (btw 105th and 106th)
morningside heights, manhattan

also reading: ed park

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fri 2/20
8pm
earshot reading series
rose live music
345 grand street (btw havemeyer and marcy)
williamsburg, brooklyn

Gator vs hat, reading vs james, Gigantic

(Gator on hat)

Gchat with Michelle Legro (1/16/09):

11:49 AMme: i do like the idea of man's archetypal conflict though

man vs nature

man vs moth

man vs the unknown

Michelle: ponies vs. self

me: my brain just exploded!

11:50 AM Michelle: llama vs. the unknown

me: gator vs hat

Michelle: know I just imagine a pissed off gator wearing a hat

me: i think that could be a good tv show as well

Michelle: thinking "I'll get you one day hat"

11:52 AMme: yeah, he can't take it off because his arms too short

if only he was smart enough to just go into the water
11:53 AMbut he's not
and there's the drama

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I am doing a reading next Wednesday (1/28/09) at Guerrilla Lit in the East Village. Reading along with me are Greg Sanders (author of Motel Girl) and Jessie Male. The reading starts at 7:30pm. More info here and here. Thank you.

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Updates now up on the Gigantic blog. Some of our favorite fragments in digestible (and YouTube-able) list format. Two personal contributions: Annie Hall's singing in Annie Hall and Lou Reed's noises during "Sweet Jane". A second installment of the fragments soon to follow.

Look for Gigantic #1 to be arriving April 2009.

Gigantic #1

Featuring new words from Justin Taylor, Pedro Ponce, Yuka Igarashi, Dan Bevacqua, Lauren Spoher, and many other new and exciting voices; strange and beautiful art and photography; Joe Wenderoth and Deb Olin Unferth on "bad" art; Tao Lin on "genius"; and Gary Shteyngart on "meat".

me in elimae, part 2

i am in the january issue of the great and powerful electronic literary magazine elimae. the title of the story they published is "untitled". it is short.

full table of contents for the jaunary issue here. also published among others in this issue is rick moody. i can now say, at parties, "i have been published among others with rick moody."

UPDATE (1/30/09): this post reminded of this great story by rick moody, entitled "boys".

I'm doing a reading

Dear Internet Friend,

I will be reading January 28 at Bar on A in the East Village, as part of the monthly Guerrilla Lit Reading Series. I will be reading excerpts from my recently completed "novel-in-stories" I LOVE AND UNDERSTAND YOU AND WOULD BE PERFECT TO YOU NOW. I promise to be interesting and/or funny and not go on too long.

Reading along with me will be Greg Sanders and Jessie Male. More info here.

Sincerely,
James