Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids

Boy, that was a ton of fun. Everyone who read was terrific. Everyone who came to listen was terrific. The Garrison was simply great. And we raised some cash for a good cause.

Let’s do that again.

After Christmas?

… is tonight at the Garrison.

Just to clarify: all advanced tickets are sold out. There will be a very, very small number of rush tickets available tonight, so if you want to get in, I suggest you arrive at the Garrison early.

Also, we totally have a full program of readers. So,  you’re welcome to bring along your childhood writing, but if you didn’t sign up in advance, you won’t have a chance to read on-stage. And yes, that means all the free reader tickets are gone. Sorry!

See you tonight!

Shhhh.

We’re going to do GRTTWaK again, and it’s going to be awesome. But before I tell you when and where, I have to explain something.

GRTTWaK started as a tiny little thing in a tiny little bar. But more recently, we’ve had a packed, sweaty house, not enough seats, and long line-ups at the bar. Those are not good things. As attendance grew, GRTTWaK moved to larger and larger venues to compensate. That was cool, but larger venues with greater capacity meant less intimacy.

So here’s the big change: to restore some vibe, and make the night a little less pushy, shove-y, stand-y, and thirsty, GRTTWaK9 will be a ticketed event. There will be exactly 100 advance tickets for sale, starting today. The only way to buy advanced tickets is online, here: http://bit.ly/GRTTWaK9tickets

Update: advanced tickets are now sold out. But all hope’s not lost. Keep reading:

There will be a very small handful of rush tickets available at the door. The only other way to get a ticket is to sign up to read something you wrote as a kid. If you end up on the reading list, your ticket is free (how’s that for incentive to embarrass yourself?). Otherwise, tickets cost five dollars, and all of the proceeds will be donated to Frontier College, which is a super-awesome literacy organization. Just to be clear, I don’t make a dime off this.

Cool? Cool. The details: GRTTWaK9 takes place on Monday, October 4, 2010 at The Garrison (1197 Dundas Street West). Doors at 7:30.

To buy tickets: http://bit.ly/GRTTWaK9tickets
To sign up to read: http://bit.ly/GRTTWaK9signup

I’m really looking forward to another GRTTWaK, and I hope you’re cool with these changes. If you have questions or comments, I’d love to hear from you.

If you’re here because you heard about GRTTWaK on the radio, welcome!

• If you want to hear the radio show again or download an MP3, click here
• If you want to be on the mailing list to find out about upcoming shows, just click here
• You can also become a fan of GRTTWaK on Facebook, if you’re into that kind of thing

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Thanks for listening, and please, let me know what you think. Or better yet, let CBC know what you think. You can email Chris Straw, chair of the program development group at CBC. Make sure you mention the show name (“Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids”) and the airdate: 4:36-4:59 PM on April 4, 2010.

The lovely and talented Renee Paradis produced this short feature on GRTTWaK8. Enjoy!

Hot damn, my office looks messy.

Laura Godfrey wrote a nice piece about the latest Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids show:

On Wednesday night at The Tranzac downtown, a 34-year-old man took to the stage and spewed more than 60 insults and obscenities to a large crowd. They hooted with laughter, gasped at the more taboo terms and broke out into applause when it was all over.

Andrew Jehan’s performance was an extreme example of what audiences might hear at Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids, a free reading series whose name pretty much says it all. This was the eighth installment of a show where people read old diary entries, angsty teen poetry and mystifying grade school assignments to a roomful of strangers.

A big thanks to everyone who came out to GRTTWaK8 at the Tranzac on September 17th. It was a great time.

I have two more Wednesdays at the Tranzac this month, with two very excellent shows:

• September 23: Singer/songwriters Kevin Quain, Patrick Walsh, and Peirson Ross (Facebook event)
• September 30: Japanese popsters The Moist Towelettes (Tokyo) wsg The Sweat (Facebook event)

Hope you can make it out.

A few months ago, a got a really neat email from Kathleen Skinner at the Kokopelli Choir Association:

Inspired by your wonderful podcast, my young adult choir used their own kidlit as a group icebreaker during our annual retreat last November. The prize I offered for the “best” childhood literature presented was that I would set the masterpieces to music. The result was performed at our February 21 concert, “Stories”, and I called the two-movement work “Juvenilia”.

How cool is that? Kathleen included a link to a YouTube video of the performance:

In case you’re wondering, here are the lyrics:

“Love” by Jennifer (age eight)

Love, love, love we all love love.
It is nice, kind and firendly
Love, love, love is such a dove,
we all love love, we all love
love. You and me love love.
Yes I love you. When I’m
blue I need too love you.

“Unicorns Are Magic” by Erin (age eight)

Once upon a time there lived two unicorns, a mother and a baby. The mother called her baby Shadowfacts. She was georgeous.
One day the baby asked “Are we magic?” Her mother said “Yes, of course, we’re magic.”
The next day the baby asked “Are we magic?” Her mother said “Yes we are magic.”
The next day the baby asked “Are we magic?” The mother yelled:
“Of course we’re magic. If you ask me one more time I’ll scream! You see, I’m getting mad.”
So the baby never asked “Are we magic?” again.

If you’re here because you heard about GRTTWaK on the radio, welcome!

• If you’re looking for information about the next live show in Toronto on September 16, click here
• If you want to hear the radio show again or download an MP3, click here
• If you want to be on the mailing list to find out about upcoming shows, just send an email to toronto-subscribe@grownupsreadthingstheywroteaskids.com
• You can also become a fan of GRTTWaK on Facebook, if you’re into that kind of thing

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Thanks for listening, and please, let me know what you think. Or better yet, let CBC Audience Relations know what you think. Call 1-866-306-4636 or email them using the form on this page. Make sure you include the show name (“The Lab / Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids”) and the airdate: 7:30PM on August 21, 2009.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m happy to announce Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids 8. Once again, we’re at the Tranzac.

When: Wednesday, September 16, 2009 at 8:00pm
Where: The Tranzac (main hall), 292 Brunswick Avenue, Toronto (map)
Cost: FREE

As I write this, you have exactly one month to dig through your attic, basement, or parents’ house. So dig up your best stuff from your childhood, and bring it to the Tranzac in September.

Like last time, I’m asking people who plan to read to please sign-up in advance. Just use this form. A small number of spots will be held for walk-ins the night of the event, but really, just a few.

(Facebook event)

==

One last thing: this event is just one of the four “Wombat Wednesday” events I’m hosting at the Tranzac in September 2009. The others are going to be terrific, too, so you should come:

• September 9: Uncle Father and Brent Randall and His Pinecones – $5
• September 16: Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids 8 – FREE
• September 23: Kevin Quain w/ special guest – $5
• September 30: The Sweat and The Moist Towelettes (Tokyo) – $5

I hope you can make it out.

[Original image: http://thevisualdictionary.net/eight/278]

Earlier this year, I produced a pilot for CBC Radio based on Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids. It was a mix of some of my favourite readings from the live events, and some reflection about the role and function of nostalgia in our lives.

The show didn’t get picked up, but the pilot is going to air as part of The Lab on CBC Radio One on Friday, August 21, 2009 at 7:30PM (8:00 in Newfoundland), right after As It Happens.

Or you can listen to the whole show right here:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

You can also download the MP3 file of the whole show.

Enjoy, and please let me know what you think. Or better yet, let CBC Audience Relations know what you think. Call 1-866-306-4636 or email them using the form on this page. Make sure you include the show name (“The Lab / Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids”) and the airdate: 7:30PM on August 21, 2009.