Ok, so in the wake of the publication of an interview in 15min, the Lithuanian news site, I ended up with a TON of new Facebook followers over the past day. The interview is obviously in Lithuanian, so not all of Liquid Ink’s followers will be able to enjoy it. In a nutshell, I claim that identity is fluid, and that “being Lithuanian” is a gateway, a means of connecting to others, not a fortress to pack myself inside.
Interestingly, this Saturday I’ll be reading an essay that speaks to this issue. My essay, Displacing Forces, was originally published by Dialogo (and edited by Achy Obejas), but then appeared in Radikaliai. It deals with my return to ancestral lands, and meditates on what it meant for my grandparents to face torture and displacement. In a way, it makes my point to have Displacing Forces appear first in a journal of Latin Studies, then in an alternative Lithuanian publication, and then to be read aloud in the basement of a Chicago Tattoo parlor (which is, mind you, one of the best Chicago area venues for a reading). BYOB.
That’s where That’s All She Wrote does its business. The reading will be in the basement of Great Lakes Tattoo, where afterwards we’re encouraged to shake our asses to spinning 45’s one of the moderators has been collecting over the years. Those new followers who’ve never heard me read and are new to my writing are encouraged to attend. Yes, I’ll have books for sale. Yes, I take credit cards. Yes, I’d love to have a glass of wine or beer with you.
1148 W. Grand Avenue
Saturday, May 14th.
Show starts at 8pm, party starts at 10pm.
Photo taken from Form.
