Books Apr 15, 2010 at 4:00 am

The Silent-Reading Party

On the Unexpected Sexiness of Many People Quietly Reading and Drinking in Public

Christopher Frizzelle
Reading allowed, not aloud.
Back to article

Comments

1
Kudos to the staff at the Sorrento for getting it(finally). They seemed put off by the unusually busy Wednesday nights at first, talking at full volume, inviting regular customers to take advantage of happy hour sans book. The service and general conversations were too much so I skipped the next one for all the noise. But happily I returned to find the room mostly silent, mouths hushed and slogged through sixty pages. It makes one so pent up after reading I want an afterhours of conversation and hot book sex....
faggot on April 14, 2010 at 3:57 PM Report this
2
Wow. I'm so cool. I read. See. See. See! I read. I really do. And you can see me reading too.
on April 16, 2010 at 7:27 AM Report this
3
See you in a few weeks (am taking a Wed. night class). Thanks for helping with my "burnout." For a couple years now I've unexpectedly been unable to find time/space to finish books, previously my key mission in life. This, and treadmill access at a nearby community college, is getting me back on track.
Amelia on April 18, 2010 at 6:50 PM Report this
4

I am embarrassed for everyone involved in this.
ian on April 19, 2010 at 2:58 PM Report this
5
#2, #4 ...

Can either of you give some more clear reasons why people reading books, in public, making it clear to others that, in fact, 'people read', is a bad thing?

As someone who reads while they walk, reads at home, reads on the bus, reads when the bridge is up & they're waiting to drive across it, and reads while they eat in restaurants, I can't count how many times I've been interrupted by some dingbat making a joke about how 'it's a bar/restaurant/etc, not a library!' as though reading a book was the same as shitting on the floor.

Anything that encourages people to read is good, and if some of the people showing up to this are 'hipsters' and reading to show off ... so what? They're showing off that they're READING. That's a good thing, right? we want to encourage that, don't we?
on April 19, 2010 at 3:58 PM Report this
6
Oh! I hope someone imports this to my city. It sounds completely wonderful.
Canadian Nurse on April 19, 2010 at 7:11 PM Report this
7
I love this idea. It seems like I never have time to just sit and read a good book, and when I do I need to consciously set aside the time. This seems like it would be a really pleasant way to do it.
Jen in Spokane on April 19, 2010 at 7:55 PM Report this
8
Love the idea. As the mother of a 3 yr old, and as most mothers would agree, time to just sit and read is golden. Especially since reading at home for me entails some sort of neglect of my son and hubby to some extent. I feel bad and nothing gets done. I never thought of planning ahead to actually go somewhere just to read uninteruppted. What a treat!
jhlee on April 20, 2010 at 6:24 PM Report this
9
Good work on reading Pnin. Probably Nabokov's funniest book, all the joy of Lolita without the horror. I recommend it to everyone.
Phil H on April 21, 2010 at 5:42 AM Report this
10
Got to say, still love Campbell. Any guy who checked out of the economic bust during the Great Depression to read books is my hero. While others sat and fondling their empty wallets, he read and got something out of those despairing days. Not a penny to his name, but he said he'd never felt such freedom.

"Every book, every volume you see, has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and of those who read it and lived it and dreamed with it. Every time a book changes hands, every time someone runs his eyes down its pages, its spirit grows and strengthens." The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Airball Annie on April 21, 2010 at 12:16 PM Report this
11
Follow your bliss. What a wonderful philosophy. (From the guy in the wingback reading "The Myths We Live By")
on April 22, 2010 at 12:02 AM Report this
12
This makes me think of all the people in coffee shops writing their screenplays.
Ben Weldon on June 17, 2010 at 12:53 AM Report this
13
For supposedly being the biggest city with the largest population of single people, this sounds like a real antisocial thing. And also, what's wrong with just reading in the library again? Just sayin.
Wedgwood99 on January 3, 2011 at 5:44 PM Report this
14
What a great way to meet people! Thanks for creating this event. Looking forward to the next one!
Suz on January 4, 2011 at 8:33 AM Report this
15
How can you read, concentrate, and absorb what you're reading with all that commotion?
Pat on January 11, 2011 at 11:09 AM Report this
16
@13: no booze!
eustaceia on December 7, 2011 at 5:59 PM Report this
17
@13 - the libraries are usually closed by this time of day. Also, see 16.
jac on June 15, 2012 at 2:48 PM Report this
18
I wish it wasn't always the same night as @CentralSounds on @HollowEarthRadio. (This week with discussion sessions from Rev. Harriet Walden and @P_Supremo.)
Rich Jensen on January 1, 2013 at 6:53 PM Report this
19
seattle white kids are such silly precious little things!
juan gabriel on March 6, 2013 at 3:57 PM Report this
20
I will definitely go, for no other reason than 5 dollar manhattans!
Annie Mouse on April 1, 2013 at 2:14 PM Report this
21
What a great way to support reading! Can't wait to attend.
on August 12, 2013 at 7:21 PM Report this
22
Why are people hatin'? If people want to get together and read in a room with drinks, what's the big deal! I'm not a silly white kid and I think this is an awesome idea.
CareyBeth34 on February 7, 2014 at 1:10 PM Report this
23
Christopher,

Nice prose. Good lay-out of the scene. 'Caught my attention almost immediately -- which, in this burg of a godzillion writers, ain't easy.

Russell
Brooklyn, NY
Russell538 on February 7, 2014 at 6:46 PM Report this
24
That sounds glorious!
Vylotte on December 3, 2014 at 4:32 PM Report this
25
Why not just drop in at the library, a few blocks west of the Sorrento, and read together there? Drink later.
pragmatic mama on February 2, 2015 at 9:49 AM Report this
26
HEY!

Unregistereds can post here?!

cool…...
on February 4, 2015 at 3:50 PM Report this
27
This is a great idea for people who share a love of reading to meet up. If you are not into it don't do it. Don't waste time spewing negativity. Whatever blows your skirt up people.
Tonya13 on February 6, 2015 at 8:13 PM Report this
28
Anyone reading an actual book (or even pretending to in public) should be lauded these days. Anti-intellectualism in America ("it's pompous....and fag gy"--per a few above comments) is rampant; a dam ned product of our socialist public school system. Read on!
on March 3, 2015 at 8:31 PM Report this
29
Solitary companionship. I've been yearning for this. Hope it spreads across the world. I'm gonna bring it to Perth, Western Australia
on March 5, 2015 at 10:18 PM Report this
30
Anti-intellectualism is pretty big in Britain too.. Knowing more than 40 words seems to be frowned on in some circles. But reading together with a bunch of strangers, who might soon be otherwise, with drinks, and a bit of peace.. Sounds wonderful! Is the Sorrento still running it? And has it taken off elsewhere?
on March 20, 2015 at 1:48 AM Report this

Please wait...

Comments are closed.

Commenting on this item is available only to members of the site. You can sign in here or create an account here.


Add a comment
Preview
Posted by (your name here)

By posting this comment, you are agreeing to our Terms of Use.

More In Books

Stranger Suggests: Cat Power Sings Dylan, Eric Kim, Massive: The Power of Pop Culture, Squatters’ Cinema, and Free Daffodils
Tessa Hulls’s Feeding Ghosts Is Instant Canon Fodder
The Books of Love
Seven Weird Things I Learned About D&D History from a 438-Page Tome
Stoned & Starving with the Hoodwitch
Losing Record

Editors' Picks

Matthew Mitnick’s Campaign Meltdown
Death of a Kinkster
The Future of Coffee Looks Psychedelic 🍄 ☕️
Seattle Is the Anti-Fashion Capital of the World
Big Business Attempts to Derail Seattle’s Search for New Progressive Taxes
Live Review: Mitski at The Moore
The Stranger
is a proud member of the media network
Masthead Ad Info & Rates Jobs at The Stranger Contact Privacy Policy Terms of Use Takedown Policy Find The Stranger Near You
Support The Stranger
All contents © Index Newspapers LLC
800 Maynard Ave S, Suite 200, Seattle, WA 98134