The Art of How to Better Public Speaking in Public

Writing and doing radio are very public, very solitary activities. People read what you write and listen to what you play and what you say on the radio (or that's the hope anyway), but they don't look<\I> at you. Nobody's staring. 

I had opportunities last month to speak in front of people, something which makes me more than a little nervous (which I guess is why I did it). And as it happens, friends showed up at each with the intention of videoing.

On May 28, I was one of seven WFMU hosts who read at KGB Bar in something that we''re hoping will be a quarterly happening. I read excerpts from "Why Do We Scream at Each Other: Letters to Prince" (and just over a week before the Purple Yoda from Minnesota's birthday!)




And on May 14, I accepted a challenge from Andrew Singer to try my hand at stand-up comedy. He does a monthly "first timers" night at Sidewalk Cafe.





Thanks to Natalie Knezic and Brett Laurence for viddying and to Andrew Singer and Dan Bodah (host of the Airborn Event, Mondays from 9-midnight on WFMU, who also read at KGB) for organizing. And big love and respect to the rest of my fellow WFMU hosts who all read their brilliant work:

Bronwyn C and Jim the Poet of Sportsy Talk Mondays 6-7;
Jesse Jarnow of the Frow Show (on hiatus);
Dave Mandl, whose World of Echo is heard Sundays from 10 to midnight;
and Amanda Nazario of the Nazario Scenario, which can be heard on the WFMU Give the Drummer Some stream Wednesdays from noon to 2.

For my part, I'm humbled by the opportunity to appear on the WFMU airwaves Fridays from 3-6 pm.

The complete text of "Why Do We Scream at Each Other" (which is a part of my in-progress collection) is available for a short time in PDF form at my Lulu store.