Matthew Stadler launched his twelve-city book tour last night at The Hub, an incubator space in what used to be the offices of the SF Newspaper Agency on Mission at Fifth.
This morning, the NY Times frontpaged a story on how indie bookstores are now charging admission for “author events.”
Stadler charged $60—for a copy of his book plus drinks (tequila somethings, Tecate, wine) and a locally-sourced goat stew & salad prepared by Chef Leif Hedendal.
Stadler’s new, 271-page book, printed on demand, Chloe Jarren’s La Cucaracha, is a “cover” of John Le Carre’s A Murder of Quality. Stadler notes:
I have always loved rock music and envied its easy formalism. In particular I love “cover songs”…I tried to do the same with fiction—”cover” a book I love by lifting it structure, its pace, and some of its language, and using those things to make my own book.
Over desert (cookies), Stadler chatted with New Narrative pioneer Bob Gluck.
In attendance: author Kevin Killian, Berkeley Art Museum director Larry Rinder, and Brent Cunningham of Small Press Distribution (which will soon have An Old Junker).
Last year, Stadler lectured on “What is Publication?”
