JAMIE S. RICH RETURNS FOR READING AT TWENTY-THIRD AVE BOOKS

In celebration of the release of his second novel, The Everlasting, Twenty-Third Avenue Books and Portland-based publisher Oni Press will be hosting a reading by author Jamie S. Rich. The event is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on September 14. Admission is free.

This reading follows exactly a year to the day of Rich’s reading to a full house at Twenty-Third Avenue, when he shared from his novella I Was Someone Dead and previewed the then-unpublished The Everlasting. This time around, he promises the same combination of available material and a sneak peek at what’s to come.

Jamie S. Rich has been a Portland-based writer for over a decade. His work has appeared in many of the city’s arts periodicals, including Willamette Week, The Portland Mercury, and The Rocket. He came to the city in 1994 as an editor for Dark Horse Comics and then was editor in chief of Oni Press from 1998 to 2004. Rich released his first novel, Cut My Hair, in 2000, and it has since become a perennial item. The literary website Bookslut picked it as an essential rock-and-roll novel, calling it “beloved by those lucky enough to have heard about it.” Additionally, Cut My Hair was taught at the University of Wisconsin as part of a class studying rock music themes in literature during their Winter 2005 term.

The Everlasting is Rich’s second full-length novel, and the long-awaited follow-up to Cut My Hair. It takes an entertaining look at a boy obsessed with music. Lance Scott is a 25-year-old mod looking for love. Set in Portland, he trolls rock clubs and used record shops, eventually meeting three distinct women. The narrative follows his many foibles as he tries to reconcile youthful ideals about romance with the reality of relationships.

Beyond the prose, Rich has expanded his bibliography to include comic books. His first effort is the ongoing series Love the Way You Love. Illustrated by Marc Ellerby, it shares characters with his prose work, forming a bridge between the two novels. Recently, he teamed up with local musician Lara Michell (the Stolen Sweets, Dirty Martini) to write and record the title track for the comic. When the second issue of Love the Way You Love is released in September, the song will be available on Michell’s website and MySpace page. Rich will follow this in October with his first full length graphic novel. 12 Reasons Why I Love Her was done in collaboration with another Portland artist, Joëlle Jones. Both will be appearing at the Stumptown Comics Festival to promote the release.

In the meantime, catch Jamie S. Rich at Twenty-Third Avenue Books and get a taste of his unique literary world.

Twenty-Third Avenue Books is located at 1015 NW 23RD Avenue, Portland, Oregon. Phone number: (503) 224-5097.

Current Soundtrack: Muse, Black Holes & Revelations

Current Mood: irritated

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