We Demand Sensory Overload!
So many events for writers are staged in bookstores or formal public forums - good for lectures and book signings, but hardly the kind of thing conducive to the sharing of creative expression; these events are great ways to learn more about an author, take notes on how to be published or what not to say to prospective agents, but hardly the thing to make your blood boil or put the spring back in your step.
It was with this in mind that Todd Zuniga, Elizabeth Koch and Dennis DiClaudio set out to create "a more spectacular form of entertainment" (1) and began the Literary Death Match in 2006. The series, hosted by Opium Magazine, features three or four writers who read their own works (fiction, non-fiction or poetry) in front of a group of spectators. Three highly qualified and entertaining judges assess the performances and decide on a winner.
The Death Match began in New York and shortly thereafter in San Francisco and was instantly popular for fulfilling a major lack in the literary community. The excitement is tangible at their events and this stems not only from the high energy levels of Zuniga and Koch but from an eagerness in the audience to see the spoken word explode and affect them. It is truly a spectacle to see so many people shouting and cheering - and more than that, thrilling to be one of them.
The next installment of Literary Death Match takes place as part of the tenth anniversary celebration of Litquake, San Francisco's mammoth literary festival, on Thursday, October 15th, and features some dynamic writers: Tod Goldberg, Frances Dinkelspiel, James Nestor, and Lynka Adams. David Wiegand. Amber Tamblyn, and Paul Madonna will be the judges.
If you plan on going:
Where: Verdi Club: 2424 Mariposa St
When: 9 PM
Cost: $15 | buy tickets!
Litquake is hosting another intense spoken word event tomorrow night called The Drums Inside Your Chest, a different but similar attempt to revitallize the pull of poetry. Ms. Tamblyn will be reading at this event. For tickets to The Drums, click here, and to learn more about Litquake (recommended!), click here. Hope to see you at these and other events during the rest of this fabulous nine day stretch. Happy festival!
Wish my articles were organized by topic in a handy table with feature pictures? They are!
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