FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Portland, OR
The Diet Soap Reading Series will premiere at the Red and Black Café on Monday, July 24 at 8 p.m. The first performance will feature the music of Ryan Dolliver, the comedy of Jim Farris, and a reading from Douglas Lain's book "Last Week's Apocalypse."
The event will be a benefit for the nonprofit group "Veterans for Peace".
"Our Avant Garde /Apocalypse performance at Wordstock was so successful, we had such a good time,that we've decided to keep working together even though we can't stand each other," Jim Farris explained.
The original reading was entitled "Art/Avant Garde/Apocalypse" and explored how artists and writers working during the zero years must be political.
"There is no neutral territory. The only question is how to pursue social change as artists after the failure of the 20th century," author Douglas Lain insisted. Jim Farris claimed not to know what he was
talking about.
The reading included a shouted reading from Walt Curtis, the electric Nu Jazz of Ryan Dolliver, and a Powerpoint presentation from artist and activist Dan
Shea.
"For the first reading we'll essentially be doing the very same thing all over again," Mahesh Raj Mohan said. "Only everything will be different."
The name of the reading series, Diet Soap, is taken from Lain's now defunct 'zine. And there are plans to revive the publication as a complement to the performance.
"Diet Soap is the ultimate commodity, it does nothing at all but claims to do everything. Wait. Don't you get it? It's a wry comment on the vapidity of America's consumer culture. Get it? Get it?" Douglas Lain tried to keep our attention.
Artists, Writers, Poets, Lovers, Dreamers, and Muppets are encouraged to attend and to sign up for future readings.
Contact Douglas Lain, 503/265-8351 for more information.
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