It has become a good Bushwick tradition that every third Saturday in month, all the good-writing-and-other-arts admirers meet up in
and are enjoying a group placebo effect of a large projected fireplace. So did we last night and I swear that during the fourth edition of the Bushwick Finest reading series, I felt the warmth and I could smell the burning wood more than ever. Maybe it was because the most wanted duo in the literary Bushwick, Mike Lala and Eric Nelson announced that Fireside Follies came into its finale… I know, I know… But remember: “Big girls don’t cry!” so I won’t cry and you shouldn’t either. Besides, Mike and Eric promised to come up with “something huge” this spring, so let’s see if they can beat their own success. Honestly, they won’t have an easy job; during its four editions Fireside Follies multiplied the number of the people in the audience several times, the line up was constantly awesome, and Mike and Eric were simply funny.
This month’s all-star lineup included a poet Tom Oristaglio, a novelist Justin Taylor, a comic artist Julia Wertz, a poet Eileen Myles and a novelist Arthur Nersesian. Writer Andy Smith who we saw reading on Fireside Follies #3 came as a DJ this time.
Tom Oristaglio reciting his poetry. And if I were way cornier than I actually am, I’d say: Pay attention to this your poet, for he’s got the fire in his blood. In the best Fireside Follies’ tradition. But obviously, I am not that corny.
The second to read comes Justin Taylor. The author of Everything Here Is The Best Thing Ever and The Gospel of Anarchy, a novel coming out next month.
The comic artist Julia Wertz is super funny! Make sure to check out her autobiographical comics The Fart Party (before she changes the name!).
Eileen Myles, the author of a poet novel Inferno reads a joint poem with her girlfriend The Dirtiest Months of Our Lives. Yup, the cutest couple of the night. By far.
The last to read is the author of 9 novels, Arthur Nersesian.
It was pretty crowded in the audience….
PS: For those of you who think that the loss of Fireside Follies might be more tha they could handle right now and the transition period to the new literary experience might be tough, I conducted an independent internets research and found this video for you, which might ease the pain, at least partially 😉
Brooklyn Fire Proof
119 Ingraham St. (at Porter Ave.)
Morgan L stop
Bushwick, Brooklyn
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