Hyperactive is Literary

Hello, Friends!

My biggest fear is boredom. More particularly, that people are gonna get bored of me, like, within the next minute.

"Eew, you're sooo two minutes ago. Shut up. Fuck off!"

So when my good friend, Nigel Collett, invited me to attend a session of the Tongzhi Literary Group a few months ago, I was alarmed that a reading of Martin Booth's seminal war novel Hiroshima Joe seemed to have lulled guests into (a) a kind of sensual introspection; (b) an out-of-body experience; (c) sleep.

Exhibit A

Here's the thing. TLG is Hong Kong's most engaged network of LGBT writers. Nigel had invited me to read from my monthly column in the local gay rag and from my Hyperactive blog. If a sweeping Martin Booth saga manages to send these writers into a suspiciously catatonic state, what chances do I have? What would I have to do in order to solicit - never mind sustain - some sort of interest?

So June came around, and so did my date with TLG. It was a rainy Tuesday evening. I waltzed in wearing a sequinned baby blue hat, imagining that if I can't charm these ladies and gentlemen with my prose, I can at least endeavor to blind them with smokes and mirrors.

Exhibit B

It didn't help any that I picked the second slot out of three. I was to read after esteemed "online columnist" Jason Y Ng, who happens to be a triple threat of charisma, insight and forever-twinky countenance. Eye candy always helps, duh.

Jason read from his book, Hong Kong State of Mind. Buy it, it's fabulous. I especially enjoyed Jason's piece on our "flip flops culture," which illustrated in graphic detail how flip flops are super duper efficient for killing roaches. Jason picks the most common of objects and elevates them into a kind of heaven. Shit, I thought - how do you follow that?

Exhibit C

"DON'T let your students read my blog," I warned the guests. "I'm not responsible for the countless tennis hard-ons they're bound to see, or report back to their parents about"

And so I proceeded with great trepidation, calling upon my bag of theatric tricks to keep my audience engaged, awake and enthusiastic.

My reading went OK, I guess.

There were scattered giggles here and there, which was proof that my tongue - indeed, my entire mouth - thankfully hadn't turned to pulp. Somehow, it seems I was able to channel my fear into my usual brand of Hyperactive energy.

Thanks and big hugs to dear Nigel and to the TLG gang!

With Affection,
James