The RAC-ON-TOUR February 18, 2009

The Raconteur Presents

THE RAC-ON-TOUR
Readings/Live Music

The Zimmerli Musuem, Voorhees Campus, Rutgers University,
71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick (one block from NB train station)

7:30 PM, Weds. Feb. 18

THE ZIMMERLI MUSEUM, the third largest university gallery in the country, is hosting The Rac-On-Tour, a literary road show that attempts to bottle The Raconteur "experience" and uncork it at other locales. The event will include readings by Robert Kaplow, Clay McLeod Chapman, the ever enigmatic Jack A. Napes (in latex werewolf mask--natch), and Alex Dawson. With live music by Arlan Feiles. All are contributors to The Raconteur Reader, an annual compendium of short prose and song lyrics published by Raconteur Books. FREE! Refreshments served. Books/CDs on sale at the event.

While the Zimmerli usually charges $3 to view their collection, the night of the event it will all be free. So get there early, roam the labyrinthine galleries, enjoy the Daumier, their impressive accumulation of Soviet art (the biggest outside of Moscow), and a particular fine exhibition called "Inspired by Literature," which includes Sean Scully's stunning color intaglios for Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness.

THE PERFORMERS:
Described as a "tattletale psychiatrist turned rodeo clown" by acclaimed author Tom Robbins, CLAY MCLEOD CHAPMAN has spent the past decade in New York theaters reinventing the art of the campfire tale with his critically acclaimed Pumpkin Pie Show, a rigorous session of theatrical tale telling. He's been called "hauntingly poetic" by Time Out New York and compared to William Faulkner by The Village Voice. The Scotsman, Scotland's leading newspaper, called him "Stephen King transformed into a punk, preacher poet." His most recent project, Hostage Song, an Off Broadway rock musical about terrorism, was praised by The New Yorker and The New York Times.

NPR alum ROBERT KAPLOW's last book, Me and Orson Welles, was recently turned into a movie by indie filmmaker Richard Linklater. Set in 1937 New York, Kaplow's novel tells of a teenager hired to star in Welles' production of Julius Caesar. In theaters this fall, the film stars Zac Efron, Claire Danes, and Christian Mackay as Welles. Critic Roger Ebert called it, "one of the best movies about theater I've ever seen."

JACK A. NAPES works as a hammerman (pounding tent pegs) for a small traveling circus. His short story, "Dogman," is tattooed in full on the broad back of his burly friend and circus colleague, Big Ink. When not on the road, he lives in New Jersey.

Dubbed an "Angry Young Man," by The Village Voice, Rutgers graduate ALEX DAWSON has written 15 plays for the New York stage. His work has been called "intense" and "original" by Esquire, "Profane, funny, compelling, and tragic" by The Star Ledger, "gritty and lyrical" by Show Business Weekly, and "disturbing, hysterical genius" by author Jerry Stahl (Permanent Midnight). Booker Prize finalist Paul Watkins (The Ice Soldier)—labeled the "British Hemingway" by Entertainment Weekly—recently called Dawson's work "Extraordinary." A former bouncer and bartender, Dawson is a licensed Central Park carriage driver and the owner of The Raconteur.

ARLAN FEILES: Arlan sings about the street and the barking of distant dogs. He writes about greasy brother crows wheeling, beak to heel, in a troubled sky. He moans about how he's sick of love and of himself. He's been compared to a young Bob Dylan and a class five hurricane ("if songwriters were bad weather..." you get the idea). He plays a mean little harmonica and a damn sweet guitar.

If you know of someone who might be interested in the above event, please forward this notice.

The Raconteur has been called "a literary center of gravity" by The New York Times, "a literary landmark" by Time Out New York, and a "literary sanctuary" by the London Guardian. Known for its accomplished and eclectic programming, The Raconteur hosts free weekly events (author signings, film screenings, staged readings, live music) and organizes oddball literary happenings that range from Manhattan pub crawls and arm wrestling tournaments to motorcycle rides and beard growing contests.