Join Us for Literary Death Match This Thursday, April 22!

Thursday, April 22, 2010 at
Speakeasy

Come out this Thursday and join Writers’ League of Texas and Opium Magazine’s Todd Zuniga for Literary Death Match, an unique and hilarious event!

This event combines the literary and performative aspects of Def Poetry Jam, rapier-witted quips of American Idol’s judging (without any meanness), and the ridiculousness and hilarity of Double Dare. Austin’s Literary Death Match will be featuring a thrilling mix of four famous and emerging authors (all representing a literary publication, press or concern – either online or in print) who perform their most electric writing (in seven minutes or less) before a lively audience and a panel of three all-star judges.

This year’s Austin event presents three all-star judges, led by screenwriter/hilaritist/author of The Book of Harold: Owen Egerton, Sara Hickman (the Texas state musician for 2010-11), and the all-too-bashful, award-winning author of Woodsburner, John Pipkin.

The judges will be joined by a quartet of readers led by journalist/author/radio/commentator/ordained minister Spike Gillespie (Dick Monologues), author and former ad agency slave Anna Mitchael (Just Don’t Call Me Ma’am),  scribe Tyler Stoddard Smith, and a fourth reader to be named shortly!

Don’t miss out on this unique and exciting event! Check out the official website for all the details!

Literary Death Match – Coming to Austin April 22, 2010

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The Writers’ League of Texas is excited to announce our collaboration with Opium Magazine to bring Opium’s Literary Death Match back to Austin!

It may sound scary, but the Literary Death Match is actually an exciting, humourous event for everyone! LDM is a competitive, humor-centric reading series features a thrilling mix of four famous and emerging authors (all representing a literary publication, press or concern–either online or in print) who perform their most electric writing (in seven minutes or less) before a lively audience and a panel of three all-star judges. After each pair of readings, the judges—focused on literary merit, performance and intangibles—take turns spouting hilarious, off-the-wall commentary about each story, then select their favorite to advance to the finals.

The two finalists then compete in the Literary Death Match finale, which trades in the show’s literary sensibility for an absurd and comical climax to determine who takes home the Literary Death Match crown.

It may sound like a circus—and that’s half the point. Opium and the Literary Death Match have long been passionate about inspecting new and innovative ways to present text on the page and off of it, and the most fascinating part about the LDM is how seriously attentive the audience is during each reading. We’ve called this the great literary ruse: an audacious and inviting title, a harebrained finale, but in-between the judging creates a relationship with the viewer as a judge themselves.

An Austin stop was an obvious must for the 11th stop on Opium100’s Monster Fundraising Tour, and to celebrate, co-sponsor the Writers’ League of Texas is helping pack the night with enough talent to intoxicate the Live Music Capital of the World’s collective consciousness. A trio of all-star judges is led by screenwriter/hilaritist/author of The Book of Harold: Owen Egerton, Sara Hickman (the Texas state musician for 2010-11), and the all-too-bashful, award-winning author of Woodsburner John Pipkin.

Plus, a quartet of readers led by journalist/author/radio commentator/ordained minister Spike Gillespie (Dick Monologues), author and former ad agency slave Anna Mitchael (Just Don’t Call Me Ma’am), scribe Tyler Stoddard Smith and a fourth reader to be named shortly!

Hosted by Opium’s Todd Zuniga and Writers’ League of Texas’ Sara Ortiz.

Where: Speak Easy
When: Doors at 7:00, show at 8:05 (sharp)
Cost: Free if you subscribe to Opium now! Or: $5 preorder (coming shortly); $8 at the door; $5 with a valid student ID.
This event is free for Literary Death Match subscribers!