Literary Firsts

Monday night’s reading was such a great, varied collection of work. Carolyn, Alysia, and Rodney were a delight.

For those of you who missed it, photos and videos are below.

Thanks, as always, to Randolph Pfaff, for taking them.

Carolyn Zaikowski reads from her new novel manuscript.

Alysia Abbott reads a new essay.

Rodney Wittwer reads a wide breadth of poems, old and new.

Carissa Halston hosts and reads (but mainly listens).

Ladies, gents, readers, writers—thank you so much for being there.

The videos are here. The next reading is in April. I can’t wait to see you then.

Alysia Abbott. Carissa Halston. Rodney Wittwer. Carolyn Zaikowski.

7pm. Middlesex Lounge.

Be there, Boston.

The next Literary Firsts is only five weeks away!

Be there for Alysia Abbott, Rodney Wittwer, Carolyn Zaikowski, and me!

See you then!

Alysia Abbott is a cerebral somersault.

Alysia Abbott was born in Atlanta, Georgia and grew up in San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury, the only daughter of gay poet and critic, Steve Abbott. After receiving her MFA in Creative Nonfiction from New School University, she worked at the New York Public Library and WNYC Radio. In 2013, she published her first book, Fairyland: A Memoir of My Father, which was named a New York Times “Editors’ Choice,” a “Book of the Week” at Oprah Magazine, and one of The New Yorker’s “Books To Watch Out For” in June 2013. Her work has appeared in Vogue, Slate, Salon, TheAtlantic.com, Psychology Today, Real Simple, and various anthologies.

Alysia is the essayist for the January 20 reading.