I can't be there because I'm (God help me) going out drinking again tonight to wish my buddy Stuff a bon voyage as he heads back to China for three months. But the rest of you should go check this out.

Four exciting new writers (including Columbia MFA's
Robert Williams and Aaron Hamburger) read at
the LGBT Center (208 W. 13th St. between 6th & 7th Aves,
212-620-7310) on Thursday, April 22nd, 7 pm.

Aaron Hamburger, author of The View from Stalin's Head
(Random House), a story collection set in post-Cold War
Prague. "A brilliant debut collection"--the Boston Globe

Manuel Munoz, author of Zigzagger (Northwestern Univ. Press),
a story collection about Chicano families in California's
rural Central Valley. "A powerful debut--heralds the arrival
of a gifted and sensitive writer."--David Ebershoff, LA Times

Wendy Shanker, who isn't gay, but explains, to hilarious effect,
what overweight women can learn from their gay friends in her
debut book The Fat Girl's Guide to Life (Bloomsbury). "This send up
of the thin-is-in mentality is funny enough to make even
diehard dieters consider replacing their baby carrot stick
with Krispy Kremes."--Publishers Weekly

Rob Williams, author of the story "Japanese for Blurred Image,"
recently nominated for a Lambda Literary Award as part of the
collection M2M (Attagirl Press). "Impressive...gentle and playful
with language misunderstandings."--Geoff Parkes