The inaugural Long Play Live finally took place and it was fab.
I spoke with a half a dozen of you, but if you were there and you didn’t say hi, come out now and let me know in the comments!
Someone told me to list all the books that we highlighted… I’ll try:
I brought: Nathan Hill’s Wellness (not yet read, but I hear it is Franzenesque), Tony Tulathimutte’s Rejection, Andrew Boryga’s Victim, Ben Marcus’ Leaving the Sea (one of my favourite things written by a man of the last two decades), Joshua Cohen’s The Netanyahus. Also, Junot Diaz is unavoidable. Russell talked about Garth Risk Hallberg and his mega-advance for City on Fire and his tall-poppy-ness, Andrew Weir’s The Martian, Michel Houellebecq’s entire opus, but also how much he loves Sally Rooney and her latest, Intermezzo, which contains two well-written male characters. Annie Ernaux was brought into the conversation (Russell also likes her a lot), and Knausgaard, and many many other people. Lots of classics came into it.
All photos by Cheryl Rondeau, who remembered to take them without my even having to ask! That’s Long Players for you.
I could use help for the next one: maybe a couple of volunteers to (wo)man the door, help with the chairs, or take pictures. If this could be you, email me to greeksandromans at gmail dot com.
A special one that I also mentioned on Friday:
Charles Foran’s memoir of his father in the final months of his life and Foran’s own mid-life sadness.
The day after, I was expected in Oakville, at the first Appleby College Authors’ Festival.