If you’re a writer at CSCC, chances are you’ve heard of the open mic held twice a quarter in Nestor Hall’s west lounge. It’s a great way to share your work, and to hear the work of other writers in our community. I’ll be the first to admit it’s a little nerve-wracking to stand at the microphone and read, but as Steve Abbott says, everybody in the audience really wants you to succeed. Plus, I’m always astounded by the talent I hear when I go, so it’s a great way to both listen and to be heard.
On another writing note, so I’m not sure if this counts, but I’ve partially fulfilled one of the goals of my life, which was to see a performance by the Rock Bottom Remainders, a band which counts among its members Stephen King, Dave Barry, Matt Groening, and as lead rhythm/dominatrix, Amy Tan. Last Friday night I went to see Amy Tan speak and read from The Joy Luck Club, and she was witty, charming, kind, and very very thin. She kept the audience laughing, first when she told a story about going to a book signing and recognizing her own novel on the Cliffs Notes shelf, and later as she told a story about rushing home from vacation in Hawaii because her mother had a heart attack in San Francisco, but then realizing it was no heart attack and that her mother had gotten into a fight with a fishmonger.
And although there’s only one date for the Rock Bottom Remainders this year (and it’s in Sun Valley, Idaho, so I won’t be attending), she promises the band will add more dates next year. So far, the group has raised over two million dollars for children’s literacy programs, even if Ms. Tan claims she can never remember the lyrics to “These Boots Are Made for Walking.” She says the audience always forgives her when she gives Stephen King a smack with her riding crop, which is exactly what I imagined lead rhythm/dominatrix would do.
