Noir at the Bar 10/5 at Larema Recap

I set out for Wilson almost two weeks ago and hoped I'd find listeners, community, and revelry or some combination of the three. I think this was the farthest I've traveled for a reading, not counting when I read at an impromptu open mic at AWP in San Antonio back in 2020. The drive was peaceful and surprisingly suburban. I found myself winding through backroads that seemed to almost cut through people's yards until eventually I saw a sign for a train stop. I turned a corner and before me was a large vaulted space with a stage set up near the front door and a few eager looking writers sitting at tables inside. 

My maps app told me I was going to be late because of a car crash so I texted the event organizer, Rob Creekmore, from the road. But it diverted me and I was back on schedule so I texted him again. I ended up getting there right on time. Rob introduced me to the other writers and I ordered a club sandwich and a glass of wine, both of which were really good. 

What I remember most about the night was forging community with other writers. This is something that I've written about before, but still remains an important priority for me. Don't get me wrong, I love reading and hearing what audiences think of the work. But, as Walter Mosley once told me, writing can be a lonely undertaking. Reading and conversing with other writers makes it feel a little less like doing something crazy by yourself for hours at a time in sections of years, and more like being a part of a team whose goal is to entertain and connect. 

I enjoyed seeing Pam Raymond and Ashley Ruth Bernier again along with Rob and Casey Stegman. Richard Dansky seemed to have written the most books out of all of us that read. It was fun chatting with him after the reading about my piece and about a video game he's working on which made me want to buy a console after not having one since the X-Box 360. I also enjoyed meeting everyone else.

I thought I was going to read something new but, ended up reading the same selection from TOKEN that I read at Yonder in July because that book is now on submission. It got a warm response. Keep your fingers crossed for me! Thanks, Rob, for the invite!