Last night, there was no fear, yoga - or Cathar - present at Madame Barista's reading of her latest novel take on suburban New Jersey. And despite her second-book trepidation, a supportive crowd including some Baristanet regulars (Frank GG, Fran Liscio and Nicky Mesiah) showed up at Cafe Eclectic, before she was inclined to marshall in the self-pity police.
Deb started out with graceful thanks for coming (by reading the blog post about excuses other people had made) and then referencing the blog Stuff White People Like, which has become hugely popular "because people enjoy seeing their own lives held up to such acute ridicule."
Conversations peaked to a high level, as Deb discussed the "literature of place" and the fact that when the first delivery of "Fear and Yoga" arrived, she dashed over to Watchung Booksellers and was delighted to discover it on the front table, keeping company with a book by Philip Roth, the dean of Essex County letters.
Many people in the room had already read her second novel, as well as her 2006 debut "Rattled." Neil Baldwin compared her subject matter to that of Anthony Trollope, who also wrote about his social class. "Fear and Yoga" reminded the head of the English department at MKA of "Bee Season" by Myla Goldberg. Fran Liscio had some good observations too, namely that the female protagonists of both novels -- Nina and Heather -- seemed to be getting punished by the universe for hubris.
For pictorial vignettes of the evening, check out Fran Liscio's slide show and Paul Zalewski's photos here.
(Photo by Paul Zalewski.)
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Sorry I could not be there but I do plan on reading the book.