Eliot Weinberger and Lydia Davis read last night to a crowded audience in a dimly-lit KGB Bar for its “True Story Non-Fiction” series. Weinberger and Davis, having known eachother since highschool, exchanged humorous comments about who was the “cooler kid” back in the day before settling ito read. Coincidentally, both authors had a similar trajectory to their readings: three or four short new pieces followed by a much longer “poem essay.” Whether this had been planned in advance by the two old friends, whose to say? But in style and interest, both writers carved their own niches. Ms. Davis focused on everyday encounters and people portraits, and her poem essay described a village in pilgrim America. Mr. Weinberger weaved stories such as a small Indian village’s wedding rituals into almost Aesopian fables. His poem essay was a tribute to the lost birds of paradise. There was a rhythm to the readings that lent an air of enchantment to the evening keeping the audience hushed and attentive. You can watch Eliot Weinberger reading from a new piece above.
