Goings on in the ATL
First things first: It has returned to my attention that the 37th Annual Atlanta Open Orthographic Meet will be held this Saturday, February 17th at 7PM. This is alarming, because I leave for vacation on Saturday morning, meaning that I will miss the spelling bee (with beer and burgers) for the second year in a row. It is an amazingly fun event, and I am bummed to be missing it. I’m looking for a volunteer to attend on my behalf and file a report with us. BGB’s Weezie (also out of town this weekend) wrote this account of the 2005 meet. (This post explains her “penuts” reference.)
In other book news, I had the most unexpected literary experience of the year last week. Our city buses now have televisions on them that blare inane crap that annoys me to no end while I’m trying to read on our way to the train station (the TVs are provided by a service that touts the “captive audience” for ad space – grrr). The fare usually includes trivia (my favorite question asks “Who am I?” while showing a picture of Abraham Lincoln and facts about his life are slowly revealed), weather forecasts for out of town sporting events, cooking tips by two jackasses that dress up in different outfits and speak in different accents depending on what they’re cooking, etc. Anyway, the other day on the bus, I stopped reading for some reason and looked up to find that Mark Z. Danielewski was being interviewed about his book Only Revolutions. Flabbergasted. I challenge you to come up with a more random and WTF? (but true) unexpected literary moment.
Finally, Dave Eggers and Valentino Achak Deng will be reading from Eggers’ fictional autobiography of Deng, What is the What on March 18th at the Center for Southern Literature. I’m there. Make sure to reserve your spot.
Books, Happenings | Tim | 
February 15, 2007 7:00 am
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By Shaft, February 15, 2007 @ 8:50 am
DJ — Let me know what to do to get in on the Eggers/Deng thing.
By Frank, February 15, 2007 @ 8:58 am
Whoa, I’m there, too. I just sent an RSVP via the website — do I need to do anything else to guarantee a spot, do you know?
By DJ Cayenne, February 15, 2007 @ 3:00 pm
Shaft: RSVP at their web site via the link above. It sounds like we’re going to have a nice turnout. Either of you guys want to hit the Orthographic Meet for me?
By Shaft, February 15, 2007 @ 3:46 pm
Can’t do the spelling bee thing; me and the missus are doing Valentine’s Day dinner that night. And if I take her somewhere for wings, beer and nerds, she might get the wrong idea.
By Frank, February 16, 2007 @ 9:37 am
I can’t make it Saturday either — Jonathan Richman’s at The EARL.
By Dr J, February 16, 2007 @ 10:34 am
Wings, beer and nerds–so you and Mrs. Shaft are headed to the Jonathan Richman show at the EARL, too?
Seriously. Take her to the meet. It will be a date you two can remember forever.
By DJ Cayenne, February 16, 2007 @ 11:39 am
Sr J, I am on the verge of having to fly you in to represent the BGB. I seemingly can’t pay anyone to go in my stead. Shaft’s excuse seems especially lame. It seems a little late in the game to sell his Mrs. “the right idea.” I believe she knows what she’s in for at this stage of the game.