17 Comments
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Sherman Alexie's avatar

I’ve never been part of the literary “parties,”partly because I get overwhelmed by the sensory stimulation and largely because I’m wary of any group, independent or institutional. I’ve probably attended less than 10 such parties during my 33 years of publishing. But I’ve also got a big name. So I’m either an insider outsider or an outsider inside.

Nimrod Kamer's avatar

Matthew Gasda at the Groucho Club hosted by Tom Willis

https://youtube.com/shorts/0VHBTSLhIug

Emma Collins's avatar

There's also DC's Secret Ballot!

David A. Westbrook's avatar

A motorcycle is not a better bicycle.

Robbie Herbst's avatar

this is just the savage detectives but 35 year olds

Lyta Gold's avatar

I’m sorry, I need to correct the record here. There were plenty of literary and artistic events and parties in NY in the 2010s. They only stopped in 2020-2021 because of Covid. Dimes Square famously restarted the events/party scene *in spite of* then-current Covid restrictions (there are multiple articles on the rise of Dimes Square which note this fact.) I appreciate what you’re trying to accomplish re: vitalism but your narrative of events doesn’t make sense.

Ross Barkan's avatar

Of course there were. But in terms of scale and vitalism, far more post-2020. The Drift parties attracted hundreds of people, which was unheard of outside of stuff that would sometimes happen at Verso loft. There also were less magazines started up, or if they were started, they left little imprint. The scenes were different too - less accessible, on the balance, and more political. Being a published or "star" writer mattered far more.

Lyta Gold's avatar

I don’t know about that. Book publishers certainly threw large parties (100+ people) that nobodies like me still attended. The magazine/new media scene was maybe smaller but hardly unimportant or apolitical (i.e. the Chapo crowd and its related literary friends.) A good number of big, exciting, accessible parties were happening in the 2010s and it might be possible you just didn’t know about them?

Daniela Austerlitz's avatar

Love that. Also the friction aspect. I imagine it to be awkward when highfalutin substackers meet in the flesh ^^

Derek Neal's avatar

Late to the Party Press in NYC too!

Ken Kovar's avatar

I'm pretty optimistic about the future of AI overall. The example of chess is perfect, the use of software chess playing engines has made it easier to learn chess and much less intimidating in general. I think the same is true of writing or creating art, the AI assistants can free people to do more creative work if they want to!

Cynthia Cook's avatar

Was crestfallen with sickness the night of TMR party. :(Please have more parties.

Ross Barkan's avatar

Jan 6, TMR reading and party. Get ready. More details soon.

eli's avatar

shoutout hosting readings

David Snider's avatar

Thank you for shining that light.