Story and Photos by Stacey Katlain

 
 
I never imagined that my first experience at a book reading would involve so many things being thrown at me, nor did I imagine myself wearing pajamas. From glowing beach balls to zombie baby dolls, the atmosphere at Bedtime Stories for Grownups at the Wow Hall Friday night was more lively, and far less predictable, than some of the college parties I’ve been to.
When you get Chuck Palahniuk, Lidia Yuknavitch, and Chelsea Cain all on the same stage, you’re not just attending a book reading—you’re going on an adventure.
The evening began with Cain, author of Kill You Twice, reading a darkly humorous tale of a vengeful zombie baby who rises from the grave to demand its overburdened mother to feed it. The room was completely dark except for the lantern held by Lidia Yuknavitch under Cain’s face, creating an eerie shadow which accentuated her maniacal grin.
“Feed me!”, Cain yelled as she shook the zombie baby in her hand. The audience was filled with wide eyes and laughter. The story concluded with Cain tossing zombie babies into the air as the enthusiastic audience desperately clamored to take a zombie baby for themselves. Yes, it was as entertaining and ridiculous it sounds.
Next, Lidia Yuknavitch engaged the audience in an interactive story of “evil Dora” which is based on the character from her novel Dora: A Headcase. Reminiscent of the original Godzilla movies, Lidia encouraged the audience to come up with their own sounds for her monster,  Vagzilla. Screeches, growls, and noises I’d rather not hear again, fill the room as Lidia cued us to bring Vagzilla to life.
“You sound like a cross between an injured seal and classic porn,” Yuknavitch laughs. As the story progressed, it became clear that this cleverly written tale, with its satisfyingly disgusting imagery of Vagzilla’s “lady wrath”, was intended for more than shock value.
The audience fell silent as the social commentary on class warfare within calamity began.“In my dream the missing link is alive and well, the in between thing between sea creature and person. It’s gay, or homeless, or trans, or lesbian. It has no religion, maybe it’s name is Frankenstein? Maybe it’s Godzilla? Maybe it’s Vagzilla?”
The audience remained silent and fixated on every word, as Lidia concludes, “You forgot the one thing about making a creation, you forgot how you’re supposed to love it.” The audience roared with applause.
Again, Cain took the stage to read an excerpt of her book Kill You Twice, the latest book in a series of thriller novels. “This isn’t water,” Cain joked as she smiled and took a sip from her bottle. In this story, Gretchen, a serial killer, recalls the experience of her first kill from a psych ward.
Cain called for more fog in the room, which blended with red light to create a chilling ambience. It should be noted that I’m not one who usually enjoys grotesque imagery. Yet, there’s something about theway that Cain carefully and charismatically drew the listener into all the slimy details that kept me hanging on her every word. As Cain carefully retraced Gretchen’s delicate use of a scalpel, Yuknavitch and Palahniuk threw candy guts and organs to giddy audience members.
Finally, Chuck Palahniuk, University alumni and author of many compelling novels including two of my favorites, Fight Club and Choke, began reading from his book Invisible Monsters: Remix. The audience cheered ferociously as he approached the microphone. He told the story of a fraternity member who attends a game show and gets called to the stage to participate. However, he’s taken bubble-gum-flavored acid beforehand, which makes guessing the prices of items especially difficult.There was something strangely relatable about this wildly ridiculous story. The humiliation that Palahniuk elicits through the perspective of this thoroughly confused college student is surprisingly realistic.
The Q&A session was the perfect ending to the evening. It was an intimate experience between the audience and authors, filled with a spectrum of emotions from laughing to cursing and gasping. There wasn’t any hesitation from either side of the stage, rather there was an open flow of communication that made me feel like I was spending a Friday evening with some of my best friends. This familiarity was felt throughout the entire event. Yet, when everyone’s hanging out in their pajamas, cuddling with stuffed animals, and eating gut-shaped candy, a certain amount of intimacy is to be expected.

Gallery • 5 Photos

Not Your Average Book Reading