Books! Booze! Ellen Kushner! Caitlin Rozakis! Amanda Cockrell! And Also Me

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Above, l-r: Caitlin Rozakis, Ellen Kushner, Michael Swanwick, Amanda Cockrell, Randee Dawn

Last night, I had a reading for Brooklyn Books & Booze , hosted by Randee Dawn at Barrow's Intense Ginger. It was great fun, if you happened to be me, and everybody else seemed to be enjoying themselves as well.

Also reading was Ellen Kushner, my dear friend from so long ago that neither of us can remember that far back. As she recently posted, she and I invented fire.

We met. We embraced. I said, "What putzes we were! We invented fire and didn't patent it!"

"I know!" she said. "And look at who we gave it to."

I also got to meet Caitlin Rozakis and Amanda Cockrell, both of whom impressed me greatly. You might well want to consider reading their work. 

It was a warm (not literally; the temperature was so cold that the traditional BB&B outdoor pic was taken inside) and gemutlich evening. The attendees were everything you would want in an audience. And they loved my story. I know because what seemed to be a dozen sought me out and told me so.

In retrospect, this was inevitable. There were a lot of writers, readers, and literary types present and "The Star-Bear" was about maintaining artistic integrity in the face of philistines with power. There is a particular pleasure in hearing your audience laughing at all the right places, horrified at the moments you thought worst, and approving of how the story ended when it finally found safe harbor.

I've been at Brooklyn Books & Booze before and can honestly recommend it as a warm and pleasant way to spend an evening. With or without my presence.

Also, the drinks are good.

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