Reading from Jimmy Stu Lives!

          I did a book reading last Wednseday on Chicago’s north side at Silvies, a comfy little club with two equal sides, the further of which is the music room, where I gave the reading. I’m gonna say right now that I don’t recall a better evening. People came from The Writers, my critique group, which is much more really, and from the fiction classes at Northeastern. A lot of my musician friends made it, so did a lot of other friends and neighbors, and teachers I worked with in the trenches of The Chicago Public Schools were there. These groups overlap and intertwine quite a bit; I could draw a Venn Diagram with lots of circles using the people there that evening .  

 

 Silvies’ music room

              And my family was there. Dorothy, my wife, who did more than I did by far to make the night work, was making everyone welcome. My son Paul and his friend from Norway, Michelle, were there, and so was my beautiful niece, Loralys. My daughter Lida and her husband Jed, who are expecting a boy, were there, along with Jed’s mom and dad, Bess and Sid. It made the night for me.   

             Seeing everyonewas great, and I confess, so were the congratulations and pats on the back. Then when I got on  stage, I thought what a group this was to read for: people who loved reading, conversation, music, cinema, and writing. What a freaking privilege, and as it turned out, I loved reading over the PA. I saw what a rush actors must feel plying their craft. The applause at the end was sweet, too. It felt like doing a gig with the band, but with less stuff to haul.   

             A lot of people brought their copies of Jimmy Stu Lives! for me to sign, and quite a few people picked up copies. We all munched on cake, cheese and crackers, and grapes. Dorothy and I hung around till almost to closing time having a few rounds and catching up with old friends.  

               That was about good as it gets for me. 

Let them eat cake.