This month’s Slog Happy is a very special edition of Slog Happy. First, instead of being this Thursday (the 2nd Thursday of the month), we’re moving it to a Wednesday night in order to accommodate those folks who can never make it out on a Thursday night. You’re welcome!
But that’s not all–this month’s Slog Happy is going to be the Slog Happy of Shame, inspired by (but not officially affiliated with) the local Salon of Shame* readings where people bravely get on stage and read the terrible poetry/stories/letters from their awkward adolescent years.
It will, no doubt, be hilarious and awful and gloriously torturous.
It’ll take place Wednesday, November 19th at the Theater Off Jackson in the International District. That’s next week! So what we need right now are courageous people who are willing to read excerpts from their old diaries/journals/poetry collections. Still got that love letter you wrote to Duran Duran in 8th grade? What about that poem you wrote your first boyfriend, but never had the balls to give him? Or maybe you were a loner… scribbling sonnets alone in the back of your closet while blasting Nirvana? If that’s you e-mail me at megan@thestranger.com (I’m looking at you Joh, Monique, Mr. Poe, Abby, Scary Tyler Moore, and Fnarf). You must sign up with me in advance in order to read that night! And in an effort to fit in as many readers as possible, each person will get about 2 minutes MAX to share their fantastically awful teenage angst, so you only need to prepare to share a small sample.
And, if we’re lucky, a couple brave Stranger folks will dig out some old gems too… no promises, though.
It’ll be a lovely, shameful, drunken way to prepare for Thanksgiving, don’t you think?
See you next week!
(Oh yes, it should be noted: THERE WILL BE BOOZE AVAILABLE. Should you need a little liquid courage.)
*This event is produced by Theater Off Jackson and The Stranger. While we have the Salon of Shame’s blessing, they are not officially affiliated with the event. Their next reading is December 2nd, visit their website for more info.
Uh… is anyone else’s calendar giving them a cannot compute signal? Wednesday is not the 18th.
oh, this is gonna be good.
@1 Yeah, that was my typo. It’s Wednesday the 19th.
Since it is likely that I will already be embarrassing the fuck out of myself for Aislinn and Monique’s Strangercrombie item, I would have to pass even if I was going to be in Seattle.
I may be the one person alive that didn’t write that much embarassing shit in my awkward teen years. Due to my freak magnetism, I did however, receive a lot of painfully penned poetry and letters from others; is that fair game or just mean?
Oh Lord. I’m going to have to dig through my archives, there’s got to be something good in there…
I’m totally going through my journals this week.
Ugh. I dunno. Ugh.
I am in. I have a trunk full of shit to look through this weekend…
Oh lord, I really hope that my mother hasn’t trashed all of my middle school “poetry” yet. I’ll go searching this weekend.
Isn’t just showing up at Slog Happy embarrassment enough?
@11
yes
And Megan, when you say “booze” are you talking just beer/wine, or a full bar? I think (and I’m sure I’m not alone on this) that getting up and sharing that night will require at least a few shots of whiskey.
I think I have the perfect thing to read, if I can find it at my parents’ house. (Sweet Jesus, it’s terrible.) I’m glad that the event is next Wednesday rather than tomorrow.
Yeah, I’m with you, Lara. I always attracted the, uh, expressive types. I asked one guy in high school to stop calling me and then a month later he handed me a binder. Every day he hadn’t been able to call he had written me a letter and then collected all 30 to hand over.
Unfortunately I think it would definitely be mean to share them…
Oh, God. My folders of writing from high school (transferred from computer to computer, for some reason) are color-coded and named after Smashing Pumpkins songs. I was worse than I remembered. I’m terrified to go back and actually read them…
Do we buy tickets ahead of time like the regular salon of shame shows?
@17 Nope, Slog Happy is always and will always be completely free. So just show up next Wednesday. Doors open at 6 pm.
@13 They serve beer, wine, and spirits in the lobby. Hooray!
You guys could always have another edition of this where people read old love letters. There’s a great recurring show in Chicago called Letters/X that basically does this with breakup/love letters.
Have fun. I’ll be at my weekly guitar lesson that night.
Besides, I threw out all that embarrassing, self-indulgent crap years ago…
That’s my Baby Club night.
@22: I KNEW you were in a Baby Club.
Oh man. What about livejournal entries, are those acceptable?
Dear Diary,
Why did I never bother to write in you.
Ambivalently,
Woodrow
Clubbing babies is considered an organized activity? o.0
I already have mine picked out.
@5: thankfully I learned to read and write long after I won your heart.
Oh god. The possibilites in this for me are endless. Looks like I’m reliving the shame!
I am so there.
I’m not going unless there’s deep-fried lard.
This is exactly why I never write anything down.
Do they allow outside food, or will I have to starve?
oh, mercy. i think i have an excruciatingly awful poem from high school days. maybe even a short story. i shall dig through the storage locker when i get back from san francisco.