As Andersen, who co-hosted the event, noted, these are pieces written by people in their youth, so expect playful extravagance in this array of pastiches, satires, mock profiles, and tall tales. Sometimes the title says it all, as in "Six Universal Questions That Your Mother Never Told You About" (Elizabeth M. Losh), Patricia Marx's "Notes from the Under-Grateful," or B.J. Novak's "My Unhappy Rendezvous with Magical Realism." Others, you have to hear: Stephen M. O'Donnell gives God a bad review in "Second Coming Doesn't Set the World on Fire," and Alexis C. Wilkinson imagines an--unusual--study group (think King Kong) in "Study Buddies."
Kurt B. Andersen is an author of the novels True Believers, Heyday, and Turn of the Century, as well as short stories, and essays. Andersen has been a contributor and editor of various magazines, including New York, Time, The New Yorker, and Spy, which he co-founded. He is also the host of the Peabody Award–winning public radio program “Studio 360.” His most recent book is Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire: A 500-Year History.
A fine cast of readers were matched up with these funnies: Wyatt Cenac, Michael Emerson, Erinn Hayes, Richard Masur, Alysia Reiner, and Zuzanna Szadkowski.
Wyatt Cenac is an Emmy-Award-winning comedian whose stand-up includes three comedy albums, “Wyatt Cenac: Comedy Person,” 2015’s Grammy-nominated “Brooklyn,” and 2016’s “Furry Dumb Fighter.” On television he’s worked as a writer on the animated series “King of the Hill,” and correspondent and writer on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” He created and hosted “Night Train with Wyatt Cenac,” a stand-up variety series for SeeSo based on the weekly Brooklyn stand-up showcase of the same name; and currently stars in his HBO show “Problem Areas.”
Michael Emerson has won two Emmy awards for his work on “The Practice” and “Lost.” He is also known for his starring role on “Person of Interest” and guest roles on “The X-Files,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” and “Parenthood.” Emerson played Zep Hindle in the first “Saw” film, and onstage he has appeared in “Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde,” “Le Misanthrope,”” Hedda Gabler,” “Wakey, Wakey,” and “Give Me Your Answer, Do!” among others. He will appear in a forthcoming pilot for the CBS series “Evil.”
Erinn Hayes is an actress known for her role on the television series “Children’s Hospital,” in addition to guest roles on shows such as “Worst Week,” “Parenthood,” “Two and a Half Men,” “Parks and Recreation,” “New Girl,” “Transparent,” and “Kevin Can Wait.” She also appeared in the film “ It’s a Disaster.”
Richard Masur has appeared in more than 80 films and served as president of the Screen Actors Guild (he is the 2018 recipient of the SAG-AFTRA President’s Award.) On film and television, he is best known for roles in “One Day at a Time,” “Rhoda,” “The Thing,” “All My Children,” and more recently, “The Good Wife,” “Orange Is the New Black,” “Transparent,” “Girls,” and “Younger.” Among his extensive theater credits, Masur has appeared on Broadway “Lucky Guy,” “Democracy,” and Off-Broadway in The Culture Project’s “The Exonerated,”and, “Fetch Clay, Make Man” with the New York Theatre Workshop.
Alysia Reiner is best known for her role as Natalie “Fig” Figuera on “Orange Is the New Black.” Additional appearances include “Law and Order: Criminal Intent,” “How to Get Away With Murder,” and “Better Things, Search Party,” and “Rosewood.” Reiner co-produced and starred in the film “Equity,” and is the creator, producer, and star of “Speed Grieving.”
Zuzanna Szadkowski is known for her role as Dorota in the CW’s hit drama series “Gossip Girl,” and as Priya on “Girls.” Other television credits appearances on “The Knick,” “The Good Wife,” “Elementary,” “Guiding Light,” “The Sopranos,” “Law and Order,” and “Things I Hate.” Film credits include “Growing up and Other Lies,” “Loserville,” and “Butterflies of Bill Baker.” On stage, she has appeared in “The Comedy of Errors” with the Public Theater, “Love, Loss and What I Wore,” and “The 39 Steps.”
