Reading Out Loud

Fall is finally upon us, and so is the new literary season, which means one thing: the authors are on tour. The slow months of summer are finally over and the Harvard Book Store, the Grolier Poetry Book Shop and WordsWorth Books, three of Harvard Square’s most established and respected bookstores, are getting back into the swing of things. Their calendars are brimming with the discussions, debates, multimedia presentations and plain and simple readings of passages from books that characterize author readings. And yes, refreshments will be served.

But besides the caloric lure of refreshments, author events offer enticements to all parties involved. Many poets, wanting to share their work with a wider audience, will contact Louisa Solano, president of the Grolier Poetry Book Shop. According to Sheri Sable, marketing director for the Harvard Book Store, authors participate in readings because reading in front of an audience tends to generate interest in and awareness about a newly published book. Jona Newhall, events coordinator for WordsWorth books, adds that book tours are a major part of the publishing industry.

The audience attends for various reasons. Fans of the author often welcome an opportunity to ask questions, shake hands with the author and obtain signed copies of the book. Readers may particularly enjoy a scholarly topic or a genre of writing. Sometimes readers are attracted by celebrity, as was the case when Anne Heche came to WordsWorth Books this September. Other people come simply because they are avid readers who want exposure to a wide range of topics. In the case of poetry, the audience often comes to hear the poem read with the voice of the poet, with the effects that the poet intended. WordsWorth Books, Grolier Poetry Shop and the Harvard Book Store all have a loyal base of “regulars” who trust the bookstore to provide a reliable and informative series. WordsWorth’s Newhall states that because of these events, the bookstore then becomes a gathering place for the community, and the book series makes up a regular part of many people’s lives.

Author events often require adaptations on the part of the bookstores that sponsor them. Larger than expected audiences require a rapid mobilization of extra chairs. Other times, even well-publicized events will commence with meager attendance. Very small audiences can lead to more informal, conversational events, depending on how the author chooses to proceed. Other times, thoroughly unpredictable events occur. Newhall recalled the amusing incident in which Anne Heche suddenly disappeared from where she had been, shortly before the start of her event. After several nerve-wracking minutes of running up and down Brattle Street, he finally found her—in his office, checking her e-mail.

Sometimes events are unexpectedly successful. A panel discussion sponsored by the Harvard Book Store upon the release of the Houghton Mifflin American Heritage Dictionary was one such event. The panel, which consisted of Steven Pinker, Wendy Kaminer and Robert Pinsky, provided a very lively discussion about words, their meanings and their usage. In a previous reading, Mark Doty, a slight-looking poet who will finish the season for the Grolier Poetry Shop, transformed himself strikingly by throwing himself into the poem, but without the shouting or posturing that might spring to mind when one thinks of poetry readings.

The actual experience of a book or poetry reading enhances the reader’s experience of a written work, and involves celebrity, food and literature. What’s not to love?