Vermin on the Mount

MY LOVE IS LIKE A RED, RED RAT...

These people are:

A) Out of focus.
B) Intoxicated.
C) Staging a re-enactment of the Hunt for Red October.
D) Hanging out at the super-cool Mountain Bar for another Vermin on the Mount!

Vermin faithful will remember the salad days of Vermin on the Mount: Red lights, Sunday nights, Dutch prostitutes blitzed on hash. Those were the glory days, my friends, and we recaptured them on Sunday night, despite a little mic stand dysfunction from the host.

(That's the first time that's ever happened, I swear.) But no pinche microphone stand can interfere with the greatness that is Chad Tsuyuki's hair. Here he is reading a sordid, and totally fictional tale (wink, wink, nudge nudge) from the mean streets of Tijuana.

The incomparable Trinie Dalton reads from her novel-in-progress about a witch's visit to a graveyard with a bone saw.

Benjamin Weissman -- writer, educator, and impressario -- reads a startlingly disturbing yet supremely humorous short story from the latest issue of Black Clock.

"Don't do it," they said, ("it" being Vermin; "they" being her publishers), "nothing good can come of it!" But the intrepid Jami Attenberg flew into town from New York to read from her dazzling debut collection of short stories, Instant Love. Here she is in a photo take by Adam Janes, the artist who made this month's poster:

Jami is presently in the Pacific Northwest so come Portland, Seattle, San Francisco and Napa Valley: show some love! Until next time...

Pictured above: Jami's free story zine for those who didn't have the dolo to buy a book. How cool is that?

SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY

Vermin returns to Sunday evenings at the Mountain Bar with a toothy vengeance. On Sunday June 25th, celebrate with this fearsome foursome of the dark literary arts:

New Yorker Jami Attenberg joins Vermin on the Mount to promote her brand new book INSTANT LOVE. This is her only Southern California appearance and she'll be signing her excellent book after the reading. Love ain't free - in the flesh or in hardback -- so be sure to bring a little extra cabbage.

Ben Weissman is the author of HEADLESS and DEAR DEAD PERSON. He is also the organizer and host of New American Writing at the Hammer Museum, the best reading series in town bar none.

Trinie Dalton is the author of WIDE EYED, the latest from Dennis Cooper's Little House on the Bowery series at Akashic Books. She also writes about art and co-compiled DEAR NEW GIRL OR WHATEVER YOUR NAME IS with Eli Horowitz and Lisa Wagner.

Chad Tsuyuki is in the creative writing program at Long Beach State University and the editor of Like Water Burning. He also has a very fine hairstyle.

The poster for this weekend's reading was created by the artist Adam Janes, who aside from being an all around swell person, helped build the Mountain bar! Fun sarts at 8, readings at 9, mayhem til midnight.

TACOS BICHOS

Join Jami Attenberg, Chad Tsuyuki, Trinie Dalton, Benjamin Weissman for a night of tasty treats on Sunday, yes Sunday, June 25 at the Mountain. Drinks at 8. Readings at 9. Bring your appetite.