Alright, alright, I know it is an act of hubris but I nevertheless appoint myself as Australian Ambassador for Pittsburgh, a city that constantly surprises and excites me. Last night I attended an event run by the amazing City of Asylum Pittsburgh: cityofasylumpittsburgh.org/. It has taken me, sadly, 2 1/2 years to get to one of these events (other than one I was in a little while ago) and Im thinking Ive been missing out big time. The event was an intimate salon type reading and question and answer by Indian novelist Anita Desai who read, fittingly given City of Asylums focus on asylum and exile, from Baumgartners Bombay, a book she wrote 25 years ago but that seems ever relevant. Sitting two rows from the front, she lulled me with her voice, a sweet voice with obvious affection for her character, a voice that I could imagine reading to me as a child, with its scrupulous intonation and gorgeous precise diction, a voice describing haunting and difficult moments in a mans life with tenderness and insight, the voice of a novelist to lose oneself in... 50 or 60 of us at the home of Henry Reese who provided drinks and Indian food and a beautiful ambience. The books were sold out before I could get one, but in my new Ambassadorial role, I will be wearing a City of Asylum T-shirt on my next trip downunder...
Posted on: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 19:35:47 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015