Centerstage Chicago
Bookslut (Interview)
Monday May 22, 2006
By: Gretchen Kalwinski
Jessa Crispin is a literary lass extraordinaire, and her Bookslut readings are icing on the cake.
Basic stats: Features three or four fiction or non-fiction authors, in conjunction with the smart, irreverent tone of Bookslut.com
Incorporated: 2003
Website: http://www.bookslut.com
When: Once a month (exact dates and locations vary)
Fringe benefits: Free!
Up next: May 24, 2006 at Hopleaf: Michelle Tea, Elizabeth Merrick, Gary Amdahl.
Jessa Crispin is a literary lass extraordinaire. She is the editor and founder of Bookslut.com, a "monthly webzine dedicated to those who love to read" that's known for offering sharp, thoughtful and acerbic reviews of fiction and non-fiction, author interviews, commentary on publishing trends and literary news. It also contains the Bookslut blog, and Crispin's authoritative tone and occasionally-biting commentary have made for her reputation as a successful and devoted literary blogger (the Bookslut site boasts 7,000-8,000 daily readers).
Crispin began the Bookslut website while living in Austin, Texas, where Bookslut.com began to gain momentum. Crispin also runs the monthly Bookslut Reading Series, which has featured such authors as Marisha Pessl, Luis Alberto Urrea and Kirby Gann, and usually features readers who have already been reviewed by Bookslut.com. Last year, Crispin made Wired's list of the "10 Sexiest Geeks," and in 2003, Bookslut.com was awarded as one of Time Magazine's "50 Best Websites." Centerstage chatted with Crispin about the origins of Bookslut.com and how the Bookslut Reading Series ties in with the website.
What's the most memorable Bookslut reading thus far?
Our first reading was with Shalom Auslander, who wrote Beware of God, and since it was the first one I had no expectations, but she completely rocked it; she's just a very good performer. I didn't know how that night was going to work out actually; because we had Beth Lisick, a feminist writer named Paula Kamen who wrote All in My Head and a scholar named Peter Manseau who wrote Vows: The Story of a Priest, a Nun, and Their Son. Lisick was the first reader and she opened with a story about um, fisting. Peter was hilarious about it when it was his turn though. He got up there and was like, “how do I insert fisting into this?” I was worried, but it turned out fine.
What did you set out to do with the Bookslut website?
I just kinda started it to kill some time at my day job; I never would have imagined that it would have become what it has.
How does the site inform your choices for the reading series?
The readers kind of depend on who the publishers will send. It's gotten a little better now, but when we were starting and trying to get writers it was like pulling teeth.
Does this mean that by you use more authors at big publishing houses rather than smaller ones, because the bigger ones can cover traveling expenses?
Not really, with some of the writers we've taken up collections and helped pay travel costs that way. We actually get a lot of small press writers and it seems that bigger publishers are LESS likely to cover travel expenses. Also, we've had a longtime relationship working with small houses, as opposed to bigger ones who are like “who the hell are you, again?”
What book are you reading now?
Pearl by Mary Gordon, who we are trying to get for July. It's a novel about an American girl who chains herself to a flagpole in Dublin on a hunger strike but no one can figure out what she's protesting.
I heard that your parents are kind of reserved and don't say the name of the site out loud.
Right, they just call it “the site”. After we made Time Magazine's list of best websites, my father was at their church and they have this part of the service where you pray for people, and offer “concerns and congratulations.” My dad started to say, “Oh, my daughter got this award” and then he was like, “Oh wait,” and tried to work around the name of the site, but by then people were already starting to ask him all kinds of questions.
Who are some upcoming readers that you're excited about?
May's reading with Michelle Tea and Elizabeth Merrick will be great, and the June reading will be a good nepotism month because the readers have all written for Bookslut.
