Story/Stereo - Friday, March 4

So I am back in DC, after a spate of wandering that began--oof--all the way back before Christmas. Although I have missed the comforts of my little apartment, it's a little tough to come home to a mountain of unopened mail and a to-do list a mile along, including the drudgery of taxes. What makes it all bearable are the pleasures of returning to my literary community, including the Writer's Center. This Tuesday, my spring workshop meets for the first time. This Friday, I look forward to hosting Story/Stereo.

The evening will feature readings from two of our winners of the Spring 2011 Emerging Writer Fellowships, Matthew Pitt (Attention Please Now) and James Allen Hannaham (God Says No). Our musicians are the Caribbean, celebrating the release of Discontinued Perfume--and you can check out Pitchfork's review of the album here, which includes this take:

They are bound to confound your expectations several times on any given album, and if you're into that, they're good enough at putting these weird songs together that they can pull you in with surprising ease. Discontinued Perfume is the band's fifth album, and on this record they've struck a nice balance between building moody, memorable songs and keeping listeners off balance.

Those with good memories might recall that the Caribbean played the very first Story/Stereo back in 2008, before the series was even called Story/Stereo. The reading was actually a celebration of 32 Poems, featuring my work and that of another fantastic local poet, Bernadette Geyer. The evening was so fun that a series was born. On Friday, come find out what all the fuss is about. Their music is vibrant, literary, and amazing.

Also, can I just note that James Allen Hannaham's book was blurbed by no less than Steve Martin? How cool is that?

This is a free event, requiring no advance RSVP; the program begins at 8:00 PM. The Writer’s Center is located on the Red Line at 4508 Walsh Street, Bethesda, MD, with metered parking available in a lot across the street. I hope to see you there!