"GOLDEN LIGHTS, DISPLAYING YOUR NAME"

Ha, look at super-funny Roy Kesey at The Fixx! Look at me not being able to read my own shorthand for "Nanjing"! Yay!

"GOLDEN LIGHTS"

Shalom, I'm not dead. Just busy doin' stuff. Working on this and that. Odds and ends. You know how I do. The good news is that I'm about finished for the week and next week, after Monday is pretty light. Whew. I'm glad for that.

You guys, Thursday night at the Fixx was stunningly fun and there was a big, fun crowd and everyone hung out and merrily chatted and laughed after and lots of books were sold and the tip jar for The National Breast Cancer Fund was stuffed with $70!

Elizabeth Crane ruled! Johnathan Messinger ruled! Roy Kesey ruled and brought me a present all the way from Bejing! Seriously-- go befriend all three of them on GoodReads, Shelfari, LibraryThing and, and, and please go buy all of their available work. So great! Unfortunately, our photographer friend who is responsible for such great documentation of each event is recovering from getting turned into a partial robot, so I don't have any photographs to show, but trust me--- it was awesome. Every last bit. Please, please mark your calendars for next month--- due to Thanksgiving and such, it's a week early. Lineup forthcoming.

Let's see. What else is new in the world? I think this is so freaky and I can't stop looking at it.

"GOLDEN LIGHTS, DISPLAYING YOUR NAME"

If you happen to be strolling around the city tomorrow (Thursday), grab yourself a copy of that Halloween issue of New City and see how I do blurb-writing about Judith Geichman's art at Alfedena Gallery.

And, while you're out, stroll yourself into The Fixx to the monthly reading hosted by yours truly at 7:30 and say hello. Thanks!

"DISPLAYING YOUR NAME, (OUR FEELINGS ABOUT YOUR DEPARTURE AND STAGE DIRECTIONS)"

Ha, dumbass! Way to take the order order form literally. (My Aunt sent this pic to me.)


Anyhoot, how are you dahhhlinks today? All's well in Guthdom. Busy as shit, but great. Are you all coming out to The Fixx Reading tomorrow night? of course you are. All the cool kids are coming.

So, hi, it's still RoseOktobre (say assy it so it rhymes-- ro-zay ock-toe-bray) and I've denied youse boob linkage for a few days. So, click your liddle self through to The Breast Cancer Site and click the pink button to fund some free mammography for some women in need, then you know your iron is so shitty and you need a new one. Don't you? Yes you do. Rowenta has this awesome pink iron and this awesome pink ironing board cover and they are giving 100% of profits from the sale of each go to the Breast Cancer Research Fund. Blammo.

"GOLDEN LIGHTS"

Oh, and by the by, this month at The Fixx will be wicked awesome for the Fixx Reading Series. I have Elizbeth Crane, Roy Kesey and Jonathan Messinger. Hello? Awesome! Better come a few minutes early to get a good seat, yo. And, stay tuned for the unveiling of the updated poster. Awesome. Awesomer. Awesomest.

"BIGMOUTH STRIKES AGAIN"

The Fixx Reading Series was rescheduled at the last minute. I'll let you know when the masterminds of Hobart and Ninth Letter are back in town.

"AS THE FLAMES ROSE"

I wish I was teaching a writing class. Short fiction. Novel. Poetry. Sketch comedy. I would dig that so much.

I am going through my email inbox today. All those nagging things, fun things, whatevs, that I need to follow-up with, today is the day.

Tomorrow, though, is The Fixx Reading Series and this month we have the pleasure of meeting the editorial honchos behind Ninth Letter and Hobart, sogityerbuttsinseats!

"GOLDEN LIGHTS, DISPLAYING YOUR NAME"

Folks! I would have put this up earlier this week, but being so sick and iddly, well, you know how it goes. Anyway! You are going to love this. This month at The Fixx Reading Series, we're all in for a real treat. I've lined up the editorial masterminds behind

Ninth Letter Arts & Literary Journal
&
Hobart Literary Journal

Cool, right? We'll have all sorts of goodies at the merch table, of course, and you can ask them all sorts of things you're dying to hear editor-types sounding off on. So come on out on Thursday, September 27th at 7pm. And, uh, maybe this time we'll be spared tornadoes and chainsaws that night, yes?

Who loves you, babes? Why, Guthieroo, of course.

"UNITE AND TAKE OVER"

Well, kids, despite a tornado or four, falling trees, workers with chainsaws working to free smashed cars, and city-wide flooding, last night at The Fixx was great fun!

Both Adam Levin...

...and Wendy McClure...


...braved the end of the world weather and brought the funny and the awesome. Unfortunately, my camera got a little temporarily botched en route, so I deeply regret that I can't offer you any new photographs, especially since everyone looked smashing. (And, I would have liked to offer further proof that I own more than one skirt.)

Hopefully, Wendy and Adam will be around here on Bigmouth soon for an installation of Guthmantics, but in the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for happenings from either of them, as they are both talented and delightful.

In other news:

Fish can be assholes. Speak with Gary at The Fixx. He showed me last night post-reading that a tiny, pretty orangey fish killed/ate his baby's mama (thus earning the name "OJ") and is now trying to eat a giant black Oscar fish peck by peck. Fish can be assholes.

Schwartzy has a very funny piece up at Six Sentences.

My final post from my guest spot over at Jewcy is up. Thanks to Jewcy and and all its Jewcyness for having me over. I am honored to have been in such great company.

"DISPLAYING YOUR NAME"

Oh, I nearly forgot! My stint at Jewcy continues today with this post.

Chicago is about to get clobbered with a badass thunderstorm. Not that a widdle biddy flash flood and severe thunderstorm warning issued by the National Weather Service is anything to stop all of youse from coming to The Fixx tonight:

"GOLDEN LIGHTS"

See all of you on Thursday.

"FIVE SECONDS TO SPARE"

1. Back from Disco Wisco, rested and happy.

2. Ben Tanzer is a nice boy. Read what he wrote about my Three Fallen Women.

3. Come out to The Fixx Reading Series on Thursday night and meet Wendy McClure and Adam Levin. Get the scoop, links, directions by clicking here.

"HOW SOON IS NOW?"

So! Much! Fun!... was had at The Fixx Reading Series again last night! I knew it would be a good night when, as Irish Ho and I were setting things up, a man and a young lady walked in-- the girl, probably about sixteen or so, had awesome magenta hair, and such a funky style with this cool outfit and a bunch of old keys around her neck on ribbons, like an antique Victorian doll who suddenly came to life and put on a pair of Chucks. She had this head full of gorgeous magenta curls and while she seemed quiet, when we dished on haircolor, it turns out she and I both use Manic Panic's deadly nightshade! She sort of had a shy yet rebellious DIY thing to her that reminded me of myself in high school and she so pulled at my big sisterly heartstrings like you wouldn't believe. Well, turns out it was Bubs and his youngest daughter, which made it all even cooler to me. So great of them to come out and say hello!

Um, the reading, yes the reading. I was a little flustered at the beginning because I misplaced my introduction notes for a few damnhellass moments, but I found them (in the loo where I left them like a dumbass) and all was well in the world. Uh, until I had the one little microphone stand iddlyness -- big thank you to Ted and Laura for jumping in and working it out. Anyhoot! I know you kids like photos, and photos I have! We started off with the dishy and hilarious Rick Karlin, and he made us laugh and laugh with his very funny novel, Show Biz Kids.

He read the starlet-on-date-with-gay-man part that I just think is so funny. And, his side commentary is so funny and dirty and I just love this guy to bits.


Next up was Elaine Soloway, who I want to be when I grow up. Her book, The Division Street Princess, which I read some time ago, made me laugh and cry all at once. I bought a copy for Mermaidhead and had Madam Soloway write a little note to her on the title page. I just know Mermaidhead will like the book as much as I did.

She showed up in a "Girls Rock" t-shirt that she scored at a NOW convention, sassy blue patent rockabilly shoes and when I introduced her, I insisted she show her badass tattoo on her upper arm. (Read what she blogged about her tattoo right here. See? I told you she was badass. When I first read this post, I teared up, I'll admit, because I liked it so much.)

She was followed by Charles Blackstone, who read from his The Week You Weren't Here, which I, for one, cannot wait to start reading. He read this section about those freakout-on-the-bathroom-floor days that I really liked, so I'm anxious to read the whole thing.


Rick Karlin's sweet partner was there, Elaine Soloway's darling husband was there, and naturally Charles Blackstone's wife, Alpana Singh was there as well, and being a very big fan of hers, I was over the moon about this because I have a platonic-professional girl-crush on her.

(I have this thing when I'm in the audience for a reading where I like to sneak little glances at significant others in the audience. No, actually, I like to sneak glances at significant others in any situation, watching his/her partner do his/her thing. At readings I like to watch them and imagine they're undoubtedly remembering all the rewrites and drafts and frustration of that very section being read, maybe even remembering the day it was first written. Maybe I'm weird like that, but I love doing this. There's always this look of pride and relief like look at you doing that thing you always said you would and having such a good time doing it. I'm happy because you're so happy. I always wonder if anyone ever knows when they're getting that look. Probably not. Anyway, all three spouses gave that look last night during the readings and I thought it was spectacular. I know, I know, what a sap. Doy.)

After all the readings, we did our little Q&A thing, which I thought went well. Last month's most intriguing question asker was a guy in an orange hoodie, and this month it was a guy in orange shorts. Something about orange....? In any case, fun times, great questions, really great answers.


As for me, after recovering from the microphone stand issue and the misplaced introduction notes, I thought I did my thing well enough.


I think this next one might be my new favorite pic of myself, only because it demands to have Fiddler On The Roof's "Tradition" sung while viewing it.


Anyway, I think that's all she wrote. A big thank you to Rick, Elaine and Charles for coming out and reading their words for us last night, a big thank you, as always, to Gary and Laura at The Fixx, and an even bigger thank you to all the smiling faces in the audience who came out and showed some love.

In other news:

Due to a funny Blackberry typo, my new favorite word for opportunities is "poppyinities". Maybe even "poppies" for "opps". Oh boy oh boy, kids, maybe we've just found the new unforch.

"CERTAIN PEOPLE I KNOW"

And where are you going to be tonight at 7:30pm? Really? You don't say. Oh, well that's a shame because all of the cool kids are going to be at The Fixx Reading Series, hosted by yours truly, as we meet and chat with authors Eric Spitznagel, Megan Stielstra and Ben Tanzer.

That's right, kids, the 4th Thursday of every month just got a whole lot awesomererer. There or square, mes chéris. (Click here for more info)


(Hi, how cool is that flyer? You know you want to hire that same dude to make your projects look cool, too. Email me and I'll give you the scoop or look for the very tiny email address he included on the bottom right corner, under the matches. Yes.)

"ASSEMBLE THE WAYS"

Here is the news! It's official so I can now shout it to the world!

Starting June 28th, I will be hosting a reading series at The Fixx in Chicago that will happen on the fourth Thursday of every month. Is that cool, or what?

I'm already hard at work this morning with the line-up for the first few. I've wanted to host a reading series for a long time, so this is a real treat for me.

"I WILL SEE YOU"

Photos, as promised. Look at Timothy Schaffert, reading his little heart out last night. You guys, seriously, he is so funny.


And, here I am, too. I'm not really trying to make reading in tank-tops the new reading in the purple skinny scarf (the item I was accidentally photographed in repeatedly last fall), but, you know, it's warm these days. And, I'm on a new fitness kick of a different ilk, so I want to show off my guns. Uh, when I get them. Har.

"SO IGNORE ALL THE CODES OF THE DAY"

The reading last night was small but fun. Timothy Schaffert is so funny and such a delight to be around. And his book! If you have not yet read Devils In The Sugar Shop you are missing out on a beautiful book with such sharp and smart laughs. Get it. Get it now.

I'll post some pics in a bit when I can. I also want to tell you all about some very exciting bits of news I have coming together this week in the writerly world. but that's all going to have to wait.

My grandfather was taken into surgery this morning and we're all waiting to hear what's what. The grandfather I just saw last week. Good vibes to Louisiana, if you don't mind. It sits on my mind heavily today, obviously.

"I WILL SEE YOU"

TONIGHT!

Amy Guth and Timothy Schaffert Reading
The Fixx Coffee Bar, 7:30 pm
3053 N. Sheffield Ave. in Chicago

"ASSEMBLE THE WAYS"

Hello, hello! Plenty to discuss today. First, another piece of news I've had to keep quiet is now yours to know. I am reading with one of my very favorite people. It doesn't get much better.

May 22nd
Amy Guth and Timothy Schaffert Reading
The Fixx Coffee Bar, 7:30 pm on
3053 N. Sheffield Ave. in Chicago

This is that awesome little coffee bar right by the Vic Theater. Know it and love it. The place is great, the owners are great. You'll never want to set foot in a Starbucks again. This reading, ladies and gentlemen, is going to be great. You'll love Timmy and his writing so, so, so much.

Next item on the agenda is a shameless vanterie sans scruple. I have another piece up over on Six Sentences today called "At Sevens". Feel free. I'll wait here while you check it out.


Thanks!

So, last night, a relative I haven't seen in yeeeeears was in town, so we got together for dinner and caught up, which was a lovely time. After, a series of evens led me to be reminded how easily threatened I am when it comes to feeling vulnerable or weak. When did I turn into a fratboy? Feel vulnerable and act out? Great plan, Ames, great plan. It really accomplishes little but making me look neurotic instead of vulnerable, then feeling as if I must explain myself, which only leads to vulnerability anyway. Oy.

Anyway.

I'm working today on odds and ends today and getting ready to take off to Austin on Monday. Must go to the post office. Must. No fooling around. Oy.