Our Perch Pub reading on Tuesday, November 13, made us feel a bit like we had fallen down the Pub’s spiral staircase rather than walked up it—so many people we normally only see at AWP were there!!! Thank God Perch Pub has windows on the Avenue of the Arts, or we would’ve thought we weren’t in Philadelphia anymore!
Our readers were Rodney Wittwer and Leonard Gontarek. The last time we saw Rodney we had led, Pied Piper like, a merry bunch of strangers to his hotel room, gave them the last of our Jack, and split. We had heard rumors about upturned plants, broken windows, and police involvement, but Rodney seemed none the worse for the wear. Wittwer’s first book, Gone and Gone is not just hot off the press—it’s hot! The audience was lucky enough to hear work from the book as well as new work, and PBQ was so impressed we couldn’t help and ask for one (alright, we begged).
Last time we saw Leonard Gontarek was…OK..it was yesterday, but it’s still never enough. Leonard’s newest book is He Looked Beyond My Faults And Saw My Needs (Hanging Loose Press) might epitomize Gontarek’s oeuvre—wry and thoughtful. We asked (alright already—begged!) for some of his new work, too, and we’re still tingly.
The AWP contingency in attendance included Don Lee, Mat Johnson, Carrie Brandon, and Teresa and Kyle. Wadda night.