Them's Fighting Words: Literary Death Match in Los Angeles
Literary Death Match reading by Richard Milward. Photo: John Paley
Another literary event enters the LA arena tomorrow at Mountain Bar in Chinatown. Part reading and part reality show, Literary Death Match (LDM100) pits several LA-based writers against each other--and judged by a panel of critics in front of an audience. We all know that writers are sensitive types, so you know these folks must have some pretty thick skin or are just gluttons for punishment.
Los Angeles-based readers D.R. Haney (author of Banned for Life), Seth Greenland (writer-producer of Big Love), Jennine Capo Crucet (How to Leave Hialeah) and Sasha Higgins (actress and emerging playwright) will have seven minutes or less to decimate their sparring partner, impress the judges (and audience) with their most dazzling, humor-centric pieces. After each pair of readings, judges Maggie Rowe and Jesse Thorn give their own “commentary” and choose one of the readers to advance to the finals.
LDM100 promises that at this point in the game, the show’s literary sensibility “takes a turn for an absurdly comical climax (like a Laser Tag Duel, Literary Card Sharks, the Cash Advance Money-Grab, or Stab-A-Hole-In-Nebraska) to decide the winner.”
Co-created by Opium Magazine’s founding editor Todd Zuniga, LDM100 is traveling to a dozen cities this month to celebrate its 100th match. We’ll have to wait and see if the MMA approach to literature sticks here in LA.
Los Angeles LDM100
Mountain Bar
473 Gin Ling Way, Los Angeles
Tomorrow (Thursday, Oct. 14)
9:15 pm
Tickets: $7 in advance, $5 for students with a valid student ID, $10 at the door