"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.

"OSCILLATE WILDLY"

Last night, I went to a store I adore, The Book Cellar for a very different kind of author reading. Though she did read from her book, Alpana Singh (Alpana Pours) also served as sommelier of the event, pairing wine with books. This, as you can imagine, is right up my alley. Her book is wonderful, especially the section she read about pairing wines with rice cakes and Chee-toes. As someone who has long been pairing wine with Spaghettios and Taco Bell when the occasions arise, I knew this book would find a special place in my heart immediately.

I, of course, wanted to make an attempt to convincing Singh to do a vegetarian (good) or vegetarian writers (better) edition of her television show, Check, Please!, but, in the end, I thought this might seem a little creepy for a strange woman to suddenly be in her face pitching her ideas, so I passed.

The writers behind the books paired with wine were the books of Wendy McClure (I'm Not The New Me and The Amazing Mackerel Pudding Plan: Classic Diet Recipe Cards from the 1970s, who also shared a hilariously funny short story with us about a pet fish, and the wonderful friend friend I made in Omaha last year, Jami Attenberg (Instant Love), who also read a bit from her new novel (can't wait!).

I was pleased, also, to see another friend I met in Omaha, Michael Barnes who is so incredibly talented and such fun to be around. So, with many familiar, smiling faces, BFFs, partners-in-crime and old friends in tow, we all headed out and about for (more) wine. The brain behind the bookstore joined up later (and we had a spectacular conversation about marathon adventures), I met a hilarious copywriter (who reminded me of a best friend in third grade) and it was, all in all, a lovely night.

Of course, I'll ask what I always ask: Get these wonderful books, tell other people if you enjoyed them, then add them to your LibraryThing and Shelfari pages. Better yet, go to their readings when they're in your neck of the woods next.

Today I'm paying a visit to Mermaid Head to see her mama-to-be belly and give her a big hug, then it's off to dinner (and probably even more wine) with Irish Ho to celebrate her birthday. Tomorrow V. is here for the day. Monday I have dinner plans in Memphis. Wednesday I have a reading in Austin. Bonk! Boom! Pow! Woot!