2:28 - David Francis, author of the forthcoming The Great Inland Sea (Macadam/Cage), has stopped by ... His impressions of the festival: "It's slightly overwhelming but not as hot as it's been in previous years ... Shall we just talk about the weather? ... As a writer, it's great but a little overwhelming ... " He found the Chris Abani panel "really, really interesting" talking about truth in fiction and in memoirs ...
2:13 - Highlight of the morning has been the crazy death penalty petition lady ... Sean says he prefers political weblogs ... He's here to check out his professors and begs us to not to put this on the blog ....
2:11 - Cedering Fox who runs Wordtheatre is here ... She says even I would have enjoyed the Steve Almond reading ... She wants to see you all for Mother's Day ...
1:56 - Visitor John gives the Festival a "C" ... No writers he's really interested in seeing just now ... He'd like to see David Foster Wallace ...
1:50 - OK, we're live, we're on and who just showed up - Scott O'Connor, author of the recently L.A. Times-lauded Among Wolves ... What does Scott wish to say to his loyal readers: "Why are you both in the house today?"
1:45 - Laila just came back from her panel ... Here's her quick rundown: "I'm off to a late start today (stayed up late with friends and have a hoarse voice today.) I couldn't get tickets to the Islam Now panel with Adam Shatz, Reza Aslan, and Zachary Karabell, but Mark saved the day by getting me a last-minute pass. I'll have more on that panel on Monday. I just came by the Swink booth to say to hi to Jim and just met Steve Almond. He was asking Jim if it was OK to use profane language at the reading. "The reading series is irreverent," Jim said, reassuring him."
1:41 - Steve Almond is standing right in front of me ... We haven't spoken; he's talking to Jim ... Wondering if he'll punch me out ... I think I could take him ...
1:33 - Random L.A. lit thoughts ... It's troubling how frequently one still hears the slightly defensive refrain "See how literary L.A. really is?" ... It's not just out there among the masses, but among authors, panelists, people presenting ... It's on a par with those who always feel the need to remind us that graphic novels count as serious fiction ... Perhaps we'll have finally arrived when no one feels the need to make that qualification any more ... Lord knows, we don't find it necessary ... perhaps a moratorium on any variation of the "See how literary L.A. really is?" question, or, as Wasserman called it last night, "canard."
We are having tech struggles today ... the wireless connection isn't as strong as yesterday so the pictures will have to wait ...
We're hanging at the Swink/Vermin booth with Vermin Impresario Jim Ruland and Swink Managing Editrix Samantha Marlowe ... Lisa Glatt is now 20 minutes late for her signing here ... We're guessing she's forgotten ...
We managed to brazenly bullshit our way into a media pass, and we've stopped in at the Foer panel this morning ... We're gearing up for our live blogging in the next half hour ... and then we'll wander back out into the fray ...
You're all invited to stop on by ... and Jim asks you to bring beer and corndogs as he's busy repelling cannibals.
hi mark. well, we're leaving soon to my in-laws for the seder. glad to get a taste of the festival via tev. sorry i won't be able to read tonight at vermin but family comes first. happy passover!
Posted by: daniel olivas | April 23, 2005 at 03:10 PM
Good job Mark. Watch out, I've heard SA is pretty wily.
Enjoy,
Posted by: Dan Wickett | April 23, 2005 at 03:49 PM
Yo ! Fo! Shizzle!
Almond b a wus. He gotz to be got.
Posted by: birnbaum | April 23, 2005 at 07:00 PM