The connection between a writer and her reader is most often established in silence, in solitude, as the reader takes in the writer's work through the simple act of reading. But authors who know how to give an inspired reading, on stage or at the front of the room, in front of an audience, can make a connection that is just as moving, inspiring, and unforgettable. The authors featured in the performances below were interviewed by Kevin Sampsell for "Make Them Glad They Came: How to Give an Inspired Reading," which appears in the July/August 2013 issue of Poets & Writers Magazine.
Steve Almond reading at the tenth anniversary celebration of Tin House at the Portland Center for Performing Arts in July 2009.
Derrick Brown reading as part of the Elephant Engine High Dive Revival Tour at New York University in October 2009.
Michael Heald reading as part of the Small Press Expo at the Richard Hugo House in March 2013.
Dan Kennedy performing as part of the Moth StorySLAM at City Winery in New York City in February 2010.
Beth Lisick reading at San Francisco's Litquake festival in October 2007.
Scott McClanahan reading as part of the Franklin Park Reading Series in Brooklyn, New York, in October 2011.
Alissa Nutting reading as part of the Neon Lit Reading Series in Las Vegas in April 2011.
Jenny Zhang reading as part of the Brooklyn Poets Reading Series at Studio 10 in Brooklyn, New York, in November 2012.
