Postcard From Seattle: Chris Adrian

The first thing I decided to do in Seattle, like any good tourist, was to hole up in a coffee shop and read The Stranger, the free weekly Seattle newspaper. I was looking for music events, but nothing really seemed to pop out at me until I saw that Chris Adrian was doing a book signing downtown.

I first heard of Chris Adrian in 2006 when McSweeney's published his second novel, Children's Hospital. He wrote about the doctor's, nurses, and patient's of a children's hospital that becomes a Noah's Ark-like vessel during an apocalypse on Earth. The book reminded me, somehow (an perhaps inaccurately), of Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut. It was in a similar science fiction realm, and the 800 or so pages went by almost too quickly. I remember being surprised by how much I enjoyed the novel.

 I walked downtown to the Rendevous Grotto at 2nd and Bell St., where I was 15 minutes early for the 7pm reading, meaning I had 15 minutes of happy hour! Happy hour is illegal in Chicago for whatever reason, so I took advantage of the $3 draft beer specials and ordered a local Old Seattle Lager (which is one of my new favorite beers now). I bought his new book, The Great Night, and waited for it all to start.

His new novel, The Great Night, is a reworking of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. I have yet to read it, but the section he read was both eloquent and funny. Along with Shakespeare, he even makes Soylent Green references! The video clip below was taken during the interview session where he was asked about Soylent Green. The video has a serious SPOILER ALERT for anyone who as not seen the film!

My favorite part of the interview/ Q&A session was when he was asked to list his top 5 favorite novels or authors. Here is his list:
1. Moby Dick (Herman Melville)
2. Moby Dick (Herman Melville)
3. the entire works of William Shakespeare
4. Ursula Le Guin (he said, as far as science fiction is concerned)
5. Marilynne Robinson (he specifically mentioned Housekeeping)
Though I have still not read  Moby Dick, I have read other Melville, and everything else on his list I have read. This is exciting to me. An author whom I admire is naming works and authors that I have read as sources of inspiration. Lovely little moments where the world feels small and I feel connected to great minds.

After the reading and interview, he signed books! I was chatty.