THE STORY SPOT

Today’s LA Times featured a great cover piece by staff writer, Pauline O’Connor, about Antioch’s very own Wendy Ortiz and David Ulin. It’s true, dammit. People do read in LA…books, I mean…novels, I mean.

They do. Just not in their cars where we can see them.

And, in case you missed my thousand-and-one plugs attempting to draw you out, people also read aloud in LA. Our little 826LA inauguration got a mention too. Yep, it’s a small literary town but a good one.

Nice one ladies (and David, of course). Happy anniversary.

Hi all. Just a note to let you know that I’ve been invited to read at the inaugural event for 826LA’s new Echo Park location. It’ll be low-key affair with a few cocktails beforehand. For those of you know aren’t familiar with 826LA, it’s the non-profit group founded by Dave Eggers (of McSweeney’s publishing and “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius” fame) that helps kids with their reading and writing skills. More at the link below.

You might call this an invitation but I’m not one to invite my friends to a couple of hours of potentially painful readings so, if you enjoy that sort of thing or if you’re really desperate to hear what I’ve been working on for two years, stop on by. I’ll be reading the opening from The Novel.

Here’s the info:

Thursday, October 4.
Merrymaking at 7:30pm.
Readings at 8:00pm.
826LA East
1714 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
310.305.8418
info@826la.org
www.826la.org

No idea about parking.

Ahoy, writerly folks. It’s that time of year again: Time to support your species and purchase the fine, fine fiction issue published annually by the Atlantic Monthly. Don’t be halted by the nagging awareness that The Atlantic may not ever publish your work unless you change your name to Updike. Instead, think rosy thoughts like this one: While the fiction ship sinks in these times of waning literary interest, the editors at The Atlantic are waving their fiction flags high!

Had enough nautical metaphor? Good. Now go buy the darned thing.

The Atlantic Monthly Fiction Issue 2007

And while you’re at it, read about the top MFA programs in the country of which my alma mater, Antioch University Los Angeles, is one.