July 23, 2003
the zadie report
La Zadie showed up on time, looked bashfully down while Benjamin Weissman delivered a glowing introduction, and then walked up to the rostrum and began reading. Her voice was huskier than I expected and she oozed confidence. She read three passages from The Autograph Man. The audience swooned at her fantastic delivery and humor. But when she finished reading she announced that she was told not to take questions. Oh, what a disappointment it was. Apparently, the folks at the Armand Hammer were hosting a Seabiscuit party and wanted to get the common folk out of the way before the beautiful people started showing up.
She has got a nice voice, hasn't she?
BBC London recently broadcast a programme in which Zadie Smith and Nick Hornby chatted and played their favourite records to each other. Zadie reminisced about her schooldays and explained her system of ethical truancy. She'd bunk off a boring lesson to go to the library or skip art to visit a gallery. Returning from one such afternoon at the National, she was persuaded by a friend to enter a Capital Radio karaoke competition in Leicester Square. Zadie's rendition of The Crusaders' 'Street Life' won the prize. Unfortunately, one of her teachers heard her on the radio and she was in deep shit the next day!
Cue discussion of her and Hornby's thwarted musical careers. She also mentioned that her kid brother was an aspiring MC but hadn't got it to together to provide her with a demo to play ahead of the programme. 'He'll go far.'observed Hornby drily.
Posted by: Dud on July 24, 2003 03:02 AMKids! Don't skip school or you'll end up as a writer!
Who wants to be that poor?
Posted by: Larry Lurex on July 24, 2003 08:27 AM...and a PS to any passing Londoners and Zadiephiles, from the Barbican event list:
McSweeneys vs They Might Be Giants
This high-concept collaboration of words and music has proven to be an extraordinarily entertaining evening. McSweeney’s vs They Might Be Giants is a unparalleled event for big readers and fans of pop music with a brain. Best-selling author, Dave Eggers,(A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius), and founder of literary magazine McSweeney’s is joined onstage by innovative rockers, They Might Be Giants. Readings by Eggers and a stellar line-up of special guest authors including Nick Hornby, Zadie Smith and Arthur Bradford round out this incomparable night.
Venue Title: Barbican Hall
4th October
Performance begins: 7.30pm
Performance ends: 11pm
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