The Elliott Bay Book Company

Yes, we're almost needing a field guide to our own place ... busy! This evening, Garth Stein and friends from Seattle7Writers launch The Novel: Live!, a six-day marathon novel-writing event. Tonight's soiree includes free entertainment, food and drink in our Readings Room. Festivities begin at 6:30 p.m. as the Vis-à-Vis Society (aka Sierra Nelson and Rachel Kessler of The Typing Explosion) write poems and poem-surveys with the help of assembled party-goers, using song, dance, graphs, and snacks to bring the data to life. Musician Laurie Katherine Carolsson, whose past gigs include backup for Imogen Heap and moderating a discussion with the Kingston Trio, provides musical entertainment throughout. Seattle's Librarian-at-Large Nancy Pearl, the event's "Fairy God-Author," will serve as auctioneer of character-naming rights, including someone who gets bumped off (high bid gets it!). Participatory Literary Games-ship at work here tonight ... The Novel: Live!, which includes 36 Seattle writers writing a marathon, six-day novel together at Richard Hugo House, takes place October 11 - 16, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 1634 Eleventh Avenue. For more about the writing, the writers, the novel, the fun, and a related, city-wide reading series, please see www.thenovellive.org.