Show Description

The Happy Ending Music and Reading Series, chosen by New York Magazine and NY Press as the best reading series in NYC, and singled out by the New York Times Magazine for helping to "Keep downtown alive," features the most interesting storytellers, writers, musicians, raconteurs and personalities, and requires the readers to take one public risk, while the musicians, who perform two short sets with their original, lyric-driven music, are required to play one cover song and try to get the audience to sing along.  Tonight’s participating authors include Alec Hanley Bemis,  Daphne Carr, ROb Sheffield and featured musician My Brightest Diamond.

Alec Hanley Bemis lives in Brooklyn, NY and spends a lot of time in California. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, LA Weekly, The New Yorker, AsthmaticKitty.com and many other fine publications. Among his many music-related activities, he founded the Brassland label with The National and Clogs in 2001, and currently acts as general manager at Bang on a Can's Cantaloupe Music label.

Daphne Carr is a music journalist, critic, and ethnomusicologist living in New York City. She is the Series Editor of Best Music Writing (Da Capo 2007, 2008), author of Nine Inch Nails Pretty Hate Machine (Continuum 2007), contributor to the books Marooned: The Next Generation of Desert Island Discs (Da Capo 2007) and Listen Again (Duke University Press 2007).

Rob Sheffield is author of Love Is A Mix Tape (Crown, 2007).  He is a contributing editor at Rolling Stone, where he writes the “Pop Life” column.  He’s written about music and pop culture for the Village Voice, Spin, Details, Mojo, Radio On and other publications.  He frequently discusses the Bananarama legacy on MTV and VH1.  His karaoke jam is the Commodores’ “Easy.”

My Brightest Diamond, tonight's musical guest, is Shara Worden, granddaughter of an Epiphone-playing traveling evangelist, fathered by a National Accordion Champion, and mothered by a church organist. Spanish tango, Sunday morning gospel, classical and jazz were the accompaniment to her home life.

Amanda Stern (host) is the author of the critically acclaimed novel, THE LONG HAUL, about a girl, a musician and a therapist. She founded the popular Happy Ending Music and Reading Series in 2003. It’s been voted best series in NYC by New York Magazine, The Village Voice, NYPress and has been singled out by Time Out NY as “The city’s most vital author series.” In 2006, the New York Times Magazine singled Stern out as a “New Bohemian” helping to keep downtown, NY alive. She hosted The National Book Awards first ever, “5 Under 35” ceremony and the launch of PEN American Center’s literary series, PENultimate Lit. To learn more about The Happy Ending Music and Reading Series, please visit www.amandastern.com.