A Parlor Read
Have you noticed publications (Atlantic, NYT) touting the benefits of reading aloud? I’ve enjoyed seeing these headlines because the first community literary event I produced in 2019 was just that: a read-aloud. It was called Book Covers (like a cover band, but “cover readers”), and there was a theme and a panel discussion following the readings — which were done by prominent community members and authors — + a run sheet + a sound system + press releases etcetcetc.
Now, 5+ years later, Matt and I hosted some friends to do the same in our home. But this wasn’t a production; it was just a way to have a social evening with a bit of a twist. Last year, we held a book recommendation get-together (you can scroll back to last April to see), and while we did the same this time, we added in a “and if you want to read aloud…come prepared to do so!” clause.
So, 8 of us did! Excerpts from the following were read aloud:
* History of the Rain (Niall Williams)
* Martyr! (Kaveh Akbar)
* Commonwealth (Ann Patchett)
* Posterity: Letters of Great Americans to Their Children (edited by Dorie McCullough Lawson) — 2 people read letters from John D. Rockefeller and Frederick Law Olmstead
* Be Here Now (Ram Dass)
* The Creative Act (Rick Rubin)
…and Matt read a social media post about Charlotte bc the only time he reads a book is when he RAWTS.
Not everyone read, but people definitely added book recs to our board. Here they are:
* All Fours (Miranda July)
* Sometimes a Great Notion (Ken Kesey)
* A Gentleman in Moscow (Amor Towles) — was reco’d 2x
* This is Happiness (Niall Williams) — a repeat reco from a different person!
* Martyr! (Kaveh Akbar)
* The Creative Act (Rick Rubin)
* Tell Me Everything (Elizabeth Strout)
* Time of the Child (Niall Williams)
* The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (V.E. Schwab)
* The Girl in His Shadow / The Surgeon’s Daughter (Audrey Blake)
* Erasure (Percival Everett)
* The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (Stieg Larsson)
* The Arsenal of Democracy (A.J. Baime)
…and…
* Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff…and It’s All Small Stuff (Richard Carlson) [I have no idea whose it is, but every time I spy the post-it, I smile … it just might be my favorite rec.] 🧘🏻♀️📚
originally published on instagram